Stanford vs. Oregon odds: 2018 college football odds, picks from red-hot analyst who's 7-1 on Cardinal games

Emory Hunt has his finger on the pulse of Stanford football

A marquee Pac-12 matchup kicks off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET from Autzen Stadium when the No. 20 Oregon Ducks host the seventh-ranked Stanford Cardinal. It will be an epic battle of wills between Oregon's air-it-out offense versus Stanford's imposing defense. While the Ducks have been racking up points -- averaging 51.7 a game -- the Cardinal have been stingy giving up scores, allowing only 23 points through their first three contests. The Stanford vs. Oregon odds have altered dramatically this week. Stanford opened as a 2.5-point underdog but is now favored by 2.5. The over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, has risen from 55 to 59. Before you make your Stanford vs. Oregon picks, you need to hear what SportsLine college football expert Emory Hunt has to say. 

Hunt is the co-founder of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of college football since 2007. Loaded with decades of college football expertise, including playing running back at Louisiana-Lafayette, Hunt is an incredible 7-1 in his previous eight spread picks for or against Stanford. Now, he has scrutinized Stanford vs. Oregon from every possible angle to reveal a strong point-spread pick that he's revealing only at SportsLine.

Hunt is keenly aware that Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello has had some ups and downs this season. He completed less than 60 percent of his pass attempts against UC Davis last week while tossing two interceptions. While he's a sturdy pocket passer, standing in at 6-foot-5, his lack of speed makes him a large target for blitzing linebackers. His longest run of the season has been 12 yards. 

Luckily, Costello has superstar wideout J.J. Arcega-Whiteside to throw to. He's already recorded 324 receiving yards and five touchdowns, including three against San Diego State in the season opener. He found pay dirt twice more against UC Davis.

But just because Stanford's offense has found an explosive weapon to compliment Bryce Love doesn't mean it is ready to go on the road and cover. 

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has been a big-play machine this season. The 6-foot-6 junior is averaging 10.4 yards per pass attempt. While his accuracy has been a bit sub-par at 56.8 percent, he has thrown for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also showed the ability to help on the ground with 41 rushing yards and a touchdown in the opener against Bowling Green. 

Oregon outscored its first three opponents 155-60 and averaged 27 pass attempts. But against much more challenging opposition such as Stanford, expect that number to rise significantly.

We can tell you Hunt is leaning toward the under, but he has uncovered a crucial X-factor that will determine the spread outcome of this game -- and he's only sharing it over at SportsLine.

So which side of the spread should you back for Stanford vs. Oregon, and what will be the crucial X-factor in this Pac-12 contest? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to be all over, all from the expert who's riding a spectacular 7-1 streak involving Stanford.