The Miami Hurricanes and Stanford Cardinal play on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, in a game on the college football Week 1 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 1 game?
Check out these college football Week 1 picks and college football Week 1 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 6 p.m. MST on ESPN (stream with FUBO).
Miami is a 24-point favorite over Stanford in college football Week 1 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Hurricanes are -3000 on the moneyline, while the Cardinal are +1300. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 48.5 points.
Watch Miami vs Stanford on FUBO (free trial)
Sporting News: Miami 38, Stanford 14
Bill Bender writes: "The Hurricanes pulled out a late cover in a 42-7
victory against the Cardinal last season after entering halftime tied 7-7. Darian Mensah should have success against a Stanford secondary that gave up 276 passing yards in Week 0 against Hawai'i. Will Davis Warren build on an impressive opener with the Cardinal?"
Bookies.com: Bet Miami to cover vs Stanford
Bill Speros writes: "Mario Cristobal did his best to reload this offseason after losing the Natty at home. Will it be enough? A West Coast, conference, road game before Labor Day is no cupcake. Even at Stanford, which was gifted a cover at -5 over Hawai'i Saturday night. Miami QB Darian Mensah won the ACC title game playing for Duke last season. The ‘Canes plan to thump opponents running the ball, and up front on defense. Stanford's rebuild enters Year 8. Given the nature of the CFB Selection Committee to reward style, Miami can’t afford to let up as this one gets out of hand late."
Big 12 football Week 1 picks: Colorado vs Georgia Tech | Idaho vs Utah | Oregon State vs Houston | Coastal Carolina vs West Virginia | Baylor vs Auburn | Boston College vs Cincinnati | Oklahoma State vs Tulsa | Abilene Christian vs Texas Tech | Utah Tech vs BYU | NAU vs Arizona | Morgan State vs Arizona State | Score predictions | TV channels | Betting
Dimers.com: Miami 37, Stanford 12
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives Miami Florida a win probability of 95%, while Stanford has a win probability of 5%."
ESPN: Miami has a 92.4% chance to defeat Stanford on Friday
The site gives the Cardinal a 7.6% shot at winning the college football Week 1 game.
Sports Betting Dime: Miami 29, Stanford 14.5
The site's formula predicts that the Hurricanes will beat the Cardinal in the Week 1 college football game.
College Football News: Miami 37, Stanford 13
Pete Fiutak writes: "The game starts at 9 pm ET, which means it’ll be well after midnight by the time this finishes. These are young people who are used to staying up late, but being three time zones to the left should be a wee bit of an issue."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. Sign up for azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Miami vs Stanford picks, predictions, odds for college football Week 1
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Prediction Markets: Certain prediction markets are event contracts regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or other applicable regulatory authorities and are legally distinct from traditional gambling and sports betting. Eligibility requirements to participate in prediction markets differ from those for sports betting and gambling — you may be required to be 18 or older (or such other age as the applicable platform requires) and to satisfy other eligibility criteria established by the relevant platform and governing law. Prediction market trading involves financial risk and may not be available in all jurisdictions. The legal and regulatory status of prediction markets varies by jurisdiction and by platform. It is your sole responsibility to confirm that participation is lawful where you reside and to comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.











