Oddsmakers Reveal What to Expect in Stanford-Notre Dame Showdown

Stanford will wrap up the season with another rivalry game

Nov 22, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (20) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the California Golden Bears at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Coming off of a huge rivalry win against the California Golden Bears, the feeling surrounding Stanford is that nothing else matters this season. They brought home the Stanford Axe, snapped their streak of four seasons with a 3-9 finish, and earned their first win over Cal in four years. According to the oddsmakers, it may be best to keep that feeling.

On Saturday, Stanford will welcome Notre Dame to The Farm to wrap up their regular season slate. The Cardinal will just be playing for pride with their hope at a bowl game gone with a 4-7 record, while the Fightin' Irish will be looking to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff.

According to FanDuel, the Cardinal are going to be heavily outmatched in this one, with Notre Dame being favored by 32.5 points, while the over/under is set at 51.5. In other words, they're expecting this game to be somewhere in the realm of 42-10 in favor of the Irish.

Given that they won their last game against Syracuse by a score of 70-7, perhaps this would be deemed a competitive game put up by Stanford by comparison.

Notre Dame has the seventh-best scoring offense in college football, averaging 41.2 points per game, making them the best offensive group that the Cardinal will face this season. The next-closest comparison would be Pittsburgh, who ranks No. 12 (37.6 PPG). Stanford held them to 35 in their 35-20 loss at the beginning of November.

Florida State is also in this same mix, ranking No. 24 with 34.1 points per game. Stanford beat them at home 20-13.

The problem is that Notre Dame also has one of the best defenses in college football, giving up just 17.36 per game, ranking them tied for No. 12 with Georgia. They're obviously the superior squad coming into this game, and it would take quite the performance from Stanford to get the upset in this one.

What a Win Looks Like for Stanford

While a win may not be the expectation for the finale, playing a close game like they did against Miami for one half could be a nice compromise to end on a somewhat high note. Stanford ended up losing to Miami 42-7, but were tied at the break, and it wasn't until there was 3:48 left in the third quarter before the Hurricanes were up by more than one score.

A similar game flow would be a fairly positive outcome for the Cardinal to wrap up the season against a tough opponent, and could lead to a bit of optimism surrounding the program heading into the offseason.

Following the Notre Dame game, the Cardinal are also expected to announce their new head coach, though the exact date and time has not been determined just yet. It could be later on Saturday, we could see it early on Sunday, or to begin the week on Monday. Regardless, there will be a new head coach on The Farm in the coming week.

Kickoff for this game is scheduled for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. (PT).

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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