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Big Game Odds

What are Stanford's chances this Saturday?

November 18th, 2025
Stanford plays the 128th annual Big Game against Cal this Saturday.
Stanford plays the 128th annual Big Game against Cal this Saturday. Michael Yu / Arborist

The odds are against Stanford this year, but only slightly.

As of Tuesday evening, large American sportsbooks almost universally favor Cal over the Cardinal to win the 128th Big Game this Saturday, although margins are slim. On average, Cal is favored with a 60% probability to Stanford’s 40%.

StanfordBerkeley
MyBookie.agBovadaBetUSDraftKingsESPNBetBetOnline.agLowVig.agBetMGMBetRiversFanDuelESPN Analytics020406080100Winner Probability (%) →36.9%38.6%39.9%40.0%40.1%40.4%40.4%40.6%40.9%41.8%51.8%63.1%61.4%60.1%60.0%59.9%59.6%59.6%59.4%59.1%58.2%48.2%
Big Game odds as of 11/21. Eliot Hertenstein / the-odds-api.com / ESPN

There is some hope for Stanford, though: ESPN analytics gives the Cardinal a 51.8% chance to Cal’s 48.2%. For Stanford, this year is another opportunity to end a 4-year losing streak—Stanford hasn’t won Big Game since 2020, meaning the Class of 2026 hasn’t seen a single win. Stanford still holds a 65-51 lead in the all-time series, which began in 1892.

StanfordCaliforniaTie
1900192019401960198020002020Year →
Big game results, 1892-2024. Eliot Hertenstein

Last year, odds were much worse for Stanford: The Cardinal entered Big Game with a 20% win probability, only to hold a 27-7 lead over Cal through most of the 3rd quarter. But in the 4th quarter, Stanford gave up 17 straight points, eventually losing to Cal 24-21.

The 128th Big Game takes place this Saturday at Stanford. Kickoff is at 4:30 PM PST.

The Arborist is an independent student-run magazine, and is not affiliated with Stanford University. Our goal is to provide high-quality data-journalism, covering Stanford culture and issues relevant to Stanford students. You can contact the Arborist at staff@arboristmag.com.