TCU's trip to Stanford highlights Friday night's college football Week 1action, with each team trying to improve from dismal 2024 seasons, when the Horned Frogs went 5-7 and the Cardinal 3-9.
Odds boards at top sports betting sites show TCU as the substantial favorite at Stanford Stadium. The game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
It is a new era for Stanford, as it is now part of the ACC after the collapse of the Pac-12 conference. Head coach Troy Taylor is a program builder and an overlooked hire after building Sacramento State into a strong FCS program. Year two at Stanford will likely see some big improvements, with over 80% of production returning.
TCU made some changes after finishing near the bottom of the Big 12 in total defense. The program fired its defensive coordinator and picked up Andy Avalos, previously a head coach at Boise State. Avalos shifts TCU from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5, which should improve TCU's mediocre 5.7% sack rate from last season.
Friday night's forecast in Stanford looks beautiful, with temps in the mid-70s and minimal rain chance at kickoff. Here, we cover betting news, odds, prop bets and make an ATS pick for Horned Frogs vs. Cardinals.
Best betting odds for TCU vs. Stanford: Point spread, moneyline, total
There are the best spreads, moneylines, and totals for each side of the Horned Frogs' trip to Stanford, according to live odds on top sportsbook apps .
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TCU Horned Frogs betting news
The Horned Frogs defense looks very different this season, but the offense is largely the same. On the offensive side of the ball, TCU looks to build on a solid season, when it was in the top 50 in scoring, averaging 31.3 points per game. Starting quarterback Josh Hoover had a solid freshman season, but there were some growing pains, which were expected with a young quarterback.
Hoover was not the starter at the beginning of last season, but slowly played better and earned his way onto the field. Chandler Morris, last season's Game 1 starter, transferred to North Texas, leaving the position solely to Hoover. In eight games, Hoover passed for 2,206 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In his six starts, he passed for over 300 yards five times and over 400 twice.
Reports from fall camp suggest that the offensive line has some young players pushing veterans, depth figures to be better and the unit stronger overall. Also, the Horned Frogs avoided losing some good-skill players, returning seven of their top eight pass catchers, with only tight end Jared Wiley, who is now in the NFL with the Chiefs, not back.
Stanford Cardinals betting news
Starting quarterback Aston Daniels is among the Cardinal's returning production. Last season was Daniels' first as the starter, and there were some bright spots but also some challenging moments. Daniels proved he is a great athlete and has the tools to be a star. He threw for 2,247 yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 296 yards, which would be better if not for being sacked 27 times.
His offensive line should be improved, which should allow him to build in his second season as the starter. His top three receivers return, including Elic Ayomanor, who was a stud as a freshman, catching 62 passes for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns. He will continue to be heavily targeted in the Cardinal offense and has to be the top priority for the TCU defense on Friday night.
TCU vs. Cardinal prop bets at DraftKings
Here are a few prop bets at DraftKings to consider for Horned Frogs vs. Cardinals in Week 1.
- Josh Hoover
- 284+ passing yards (-120)
- 300+ passing yards (+125)
- 1.5 passing touchdowns OVER (-180) / UNDER (+135)
- Anytime touchdown scorer (+245)
- Elic Ayomanor
- 71+ receiving yards (-115)
- 80+ receiving yards (+130)
- Anytime touchdown scorer (+125)
- Savion Williams
- 62+ receiving yards (-120)
- 70+ receiving yards (+120)
- Anytime touchdown scorer (+100)
TCU vs. Stanford ATS pick: Horned Frogs cover point spread
Each team should have better records this season, as they both return key contributors. TCU's offense was good last season and could be great this year. Stanford's offense should also improve, but its defense leaves a lot to be desired. This game will be a shootout, but expect TCU to pull away in the second half.
ATS pick : TCU -8.5
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