The Pitt Panthers will visit the Stanford Cardinal in college football action on Saturday afternoon. Pitt is red-hot coming into this game, having won four games in a row. They will try to continue their winning ways at the expense of a Stanford team that is looking to get back to .500 in ACC play. Here, I take a closer look at this contest in the ACC and make my Pitt vs Stanford prediction.
Our Pitt vs Stanford Pick
- Pick: Stanford +13.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Pittsburgh Panthers vs Stanford Cardinal
- Date & Time: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California
- Broadcast: ACC Network
Key Storylines
Pittsburgh’s offense is one of the big storylines in college football going into this game. The Panthers lead the ACC in scoring at 40.3 points per game, while Stanford ranks near the bottom at 17.5 points per game. Pittsburgh’s coming off a dominant 53-34 win over NC State, which was their fourth win in a row. Meanwhile, Stanford lost 42-7 at Miami in their last game, generating only 144 yards of total offense in that contest.
Another storyline to keep in mind is Stanford’s home record. They are 3-0 at home this season, which gives them some hope of a rebound from their blowout loss to Miami. The Cardinal beat Florida State in their last home game, proving that they can hang with most teams at home. But it’s hard to ignore the mismatch in offensive firepower in this game.
Quarterback Play
Pittsburgh’s freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel has been making a strong impact in the place of Eli Holstein. He threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns in the win over NC State. Heintschel enters with 1,243 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions this season. Stanford’s signal-caller Ben Gulbranson appears set to return from a knee injury, but his recent play is concerning. In the Miami game, he went 9 of 21 passing for 50 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Betting Trends
- Pitt is 6-2 against the spread so far this season.
- Stanford is 2-6 against the spread this year.
- Pitt has gone 5-2-1 to the over entering this matchup.
- The Cardinal have gone 4-4 on over/unders through eight games.
Pittsburgh vs Stanford Model Projection
Score Projection: Pittsburgh 35 – Stanford 27
Win Probability: Pittsburgh 80%, Stanford 20%
Final Thoughts
I would expect Pitt to come away with the win on the road in this game. But I don’t think Stanford should be counted out either. The Cardinal have played very well at home so far this season and I think they will play well enough to cover the spread in this contest, even if they end up taking their first home loss of the 2025 college football season.
