Bill Connelly’s SP+ predicts a win for Arizona over Stanford this weekend on the road.

The predictive model is calling for a 34-22 Wildcat win. It gives Stanford a 24% chance to win at home.

If the Wildcats are able to come out of Stanford with a win to open Pac-12 play, it would push the record to 3-1 on the season. That would be the best start for the UA since 2019, when the Wildcats won four of their first five games.

It would also mark the first time Arizona has won its Pac-12 opener since 2019.

During that 2019 season, Arizona opened 4-1 before losing seven straight to end the year. Arizona doesn’t want the same fate in 2023, but the calendar certainly presents the possibility.

After Stanford, Arizona will face seven straight ranked opponents in Pac-12 play before ending the year in Tempe for the Territorial Cup. It will face USC, Washington State, and Colorado on the road. Arizona welcomes Oregon State, UCLA, and Utah to Arizona Stadium.

The Wildcats are better than they were a year ago. But they’re likely to enter each of the seven matchups after Stanford as an underdog. Beating the Cardinal this weekend is a must for coach Jedd Fisch and his crew.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.