Stanford Cardinal vs Virginia Tech Hokies Picks and Predictions October 5th 2024

Coming into this week six matchup, the Virginia Tech Hokies are favored by -8.5 points over the Stanford Cardinal. The game is set for 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 5th, at Stanford Stadium. The over/under line is currently 49.5 points, and you can catch the action on ACCN. The Hokies have a 2-3 record, while the Cardinal are 2-2 this season.

Virginia Tech vs. Stanford Key Information

Virginia Tech enters Week 6 with a 2-3 record, facing Stanford on the road. They are ranked 42nd in our power rankings and have a 65.5% chance of reaching bowl eligibility. So far, the Hokies are 1-1 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.

Their average scoring margin is +4.6 points per game, and they are 2-2 against the spread. Virginia Tech is 2-0 ATS on the road but 0-2 at home. They’ve been favored in three of their five games, with a 1-2 record against the spread as the favorite.

The Hokies’ over/under record stands at 3-1, with their games averaging 56.2 points. This week’s line is 49.5 points, just below their average over/under line of 50 points for the season.

Virginia Tech’s offense is averaging 30.4 points per game, placing them 48th in the nation as they head into week 6. They are ranked 59th in our offensive power rankings. The Hokies have focused on their ground game, averaging 192.2 rushing yards per game on 38.2 attempts, ranking 28th in the country.

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Bhayshul Tuten leads the rushing attack with 532 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry, and has scored eight touchdowns. Quarterback Kyron Drones has thrown for 954 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 82.

Virginia Tech’s defense struggled in their recent game against Miami, giving up 38 points and 508 total yards. The Hokies allowed 343 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air, though they did manage to force two interceptions. On the ground, Miami rushed for 165 yards on 32 attempts.

So far this season, Virginia Tech’s defense ranks 125th nationally, allowing 179.2 rushing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 56.2% of their passes, averaging 196.6 passing yards per game against the Hokies.

Sitting at 2-2 this season, Stanford is preparing to face Virginia Tech in Week 6. They are ranked 72nd in our power rankings and have a 28.5% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The Cardinal are 1-1 on the road and 0-1 at home so far this year.

Stanford’s ATS record stands at 2-1, and they’ve been the underdog in three of their four games. Their average scoring margin is +0.8 points per game, and they’ve gone 1-0 against the spread at home and 1-1 on the road.

This week’s over/under line is 49.5 points. Stanford’s games have averaged 53.2 points, and their average over/under line has been 57.7 points, with a margin of -2.7 points against the total.

Heading into week 6, Stanford’s offense is averaging 27 points per game, placing them 63rd nationally. They are ranked 107th in our offensive power rankings. The Cardinal are 50th in passing attempts, averaging 32.8 per game, and 44th in completions, with 20 per game. However, they are 102nd in passing yards, averaging 196.5 yards per game. Their third-down conversion rate is 38.2%.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels has thrown for 633 yards with a passer rating of 67. He has five touchdowns but also six interceptions. Stanford is 48th in rushing attempts, averaging 160.8 yards per game. Micah Ford leads the team with 176 rushing yards. Elic Ayomanor has 284 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Stanford’s defense has been strong against the run this season, allowing just 78.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 9th nationally. Even in their recent 40-14 loss to Clemson, they gave up only 150 rushing yards on 30 attempts. However, the secondary has struggled, allowing 255 passing yards and four touchdowns in that game. Opponents have averaged 287.8 passing yards per game against Stanford, ranking them 157th in the country.

This season, quarterbacks have completed 62.4% of their passes against Stanford, posting a passer rating of 95.7. The Cardinal defense has faced the 5th fewest rushing attempts in the nation, but they’ve seen 36.2 pass attempts per game, which is the 92nd most in college football.

Stanford is the +8.5 point underdog at home in their week six matchup against Virginia Tech. We have a projected final score of 29-28 in favor of Stanford, making them a good bet to cover the spread.

With the over/under line set at 49.5 points, our projection of 57 combined points suggests taking the over as the best play for this game.

Virginia Tech Seeks Bounce-Back Effort in Clash vs. Stanford

Virginia Tech will make its first-ever trip to California for an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football game when the Hokies visit Stanford on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams are looking to rebound after losses to ACC powerhouses. The emotional bounce-back, however, may be more challenging for one team than the other.

Virginia Tech Aims to Move Past Heartbreaking Loss

Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1 ACC) was on the verge of pulling off a major upset against then-No. 7 Miami last week before a last-second touchdown pass was overturned. The controversial call allowed the Hurricanes to escape with a 38-34 victory. Hokies head coach Brent Pry even reached out to ACC headquarters for clarification.

Though unsatisfied with the response, Pry made it clear that the focus has shifted to Stanford this week.

“We aggressively turned the page Sunday evening,” Pry said. “We addressed the matter with our players, with our staff, with our media, with our player parents, with our own wives … everybody. To play with the intensity we played with Friday night (Sept. 27), we have to pour everything into Stanford.”

Stanford’s Quarterback Situation in Limbo

Stanford (2-2, 1-1 ACC) will host its first ACC home game, having already played two road games in the conference. The Cardinal earned a 26-24 win over Syracuse on Sept. 20 but were soundly defeated 40-14 by then-No. 17 Clemson last week.

To make matters worse, Stanford’s starting quarterback, Ashton Daniels, left the game against Clemson in the fourth quarter due to an ankle injury. On Tuesday, Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor announced that Daniels’ status for the Virginia Tech game is uncertain. If Daniels is healthy enough to play, Taylor emphasized the need for better ball security, as Daniels threw three interceptions against Clemson.

“The thing about playing quarterback is you can play great 95 percent of the time,” Taylor said. “But because you handle the ball every play, if 5 percent of those reps are not good, then you probably walk away feeling you didn’t play very well.”

If Daniels can’t go, Justin Lamson is expected to step in and lead the Cardinal offense.

Battle of Top ACC Running Backs

Saturday’s matchup will also showcase two of the top-performing running backs in the ACC.

Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 141 yards in last week’s narrow loss to Miami, giving the Hokies a reliable ground threat. On the other side, Stanford’s Micah Ford leads all ACC players who have appeared in two conference games with 169 rushing yards.

Both teams will rely heavily on their ground game as they look to regain their footing after tough defeats.

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High Stakes for Both Teams

For Virginia Tech, a win on the road could be a defining moment in a season that has had its ups and downs. Meanwhile, Stanford, playing in front of its home crowd, will be eager to bounce back from its loss to Clemson and keep its ACC aspirations alive.

With both teams determined to get back on track, Saturday’s clash in Palo Alto promises to be an intense and pivotal matchup.