Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals Betting Preview
Where: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium — Louisville, KY
When: Saturday, November 26, 2016, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Kentucky Wildcats (+26) vs. Louisville Cardinals (-26); total: 75.0 – view all NCAA Football odds and lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
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Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (+26)
The Kentucky Wildcats finally snapped their two-game losing streak with a comprehensive 49-13 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday. It was a morale-boosting result for the Wildcats who reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010. Providing the impetus for the Wildcats’ victory was their remarkable offense. Kentucky outgained Austin Peay, 410-284, in that Week 12 clash.
They will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with Louisville this coming weekend. For the Wildcats to record a major upset and cover the huge 26-point spread against Louisville, they will need to quickly establish their ground game this coming Saturday. The Wildcats ran for a whopping 281 yards in the win against the reeling Governors. Expected to play a crucial role this weekend for Kentucky is Benny Snell Jr. He rushed for 152 yards and two scores on 14 carries in the win against Austin Peay.
Snell has now rushed for a Kentucky freshman-record 1,006 yards, a good bunch of those by taking direct snaps from the wildcat formation. Snell will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Louisville side that is ranked sixth in the nation in rushing defense this campaign. The Cardinals are allowing just 99.2 yards per game on the ground this season.
The Wildcats are 3-1 ATS on the road this season.
Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (-26)
Louisville’s playoff hopes were dealt a major blow on Saturday when it suffered a humiliating 36-10 loss to Houston at TDECU Stadium. Duke Catalon scored three touchdowns to send the Cardinals crashing to their second defeat this season. It was a disappointing loss for Louisville who entered the game as 17-point favorites. As a result of that drubbing, Louisville dropped to No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Next up for Louisville is a clash with crosstown rivals Kentucky. For the Cardinals to record the much-needed win, they will need to improve on their play on the offensive end. They managed just 312 total yards in the loss to the Cougars. Lamar Jackson struggled mightily in that ballgame, accounting for just 244 total yards, with majority of those coming with the game already out of reach. It didn’t help matters that the Louisville O-line didn’t offer him enough protection. Jackson was sacked a season-high 11 times.
It’s paramount for Louisville that Jackson rediscovers his form, particularly with his running game. He ran for a season-low 33 yards against Houston after piling up 338 yards rushing combined in the previous two games. The sophomore QB has rushed for nearly 125 yards a game and passed for another 283 this season. Jackson has scored 19 touchdowns and passed for another 28 this campaign.
Louisville is 5-0 SU and 3-2 ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Louisville (-26) wins and covers.
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