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The Jax State Gamecocks and Louisville Cardinals will square off after a devastating loss for the Gamecocks in Week 1. Louisville dominated lowly Austin Peay but should be ready for more of a test in this matchup. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Jax State-Louisville prediction and pick.
Jax State had a lot to build on after a successful 2023 season. They tallied a 9-4 record and a 6-2 mark in Conference USA, finishing third behind Liberty and New Mexico State. The Gamecocks played in the New Orleans Bowl to end the season, defeating Louisiana 34-31 in overtime. Jax State played a good Coastal Carolina team in Week 1, but their performance was less-than-promising. They were dominated in every facet, taking a 55-27 defeat.
Louisville was 7-1 in the ACC in 2023, which gave them a spot in the ACC Championship game against Florida State. Many looked at Louisville as a fraud in the ACC, and despite losing to Florida State, they contributed to the Seminoles not making the College Football Playoff by keeping the game close at 16-6. The Cardinals then played in the Holiday Bowl against Miller Moss and USC, losing 42-28. Louisville looked good against Austin Peay in the season opener, dominating their opponents with a 62-0 victory.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Jax State-Louisville Odds
Jax State: +28.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +2200
Louisville: -28.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -10000
Over: 56.5 (-118)
Under: 56.5 (-104)
How to Watch Jax State vs. Louisville
Time: 3:30 PM ET/12:30 PM PT
TV: ACC Extra, ESPN+
Article Continues Below
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Jax State Could Cover The Spread/Win
It couldn't have gotten much worse for Jax State in the season opener. They were 1-of-10 on third downs and gave up three turnovers. The Gamecocks are a better team than they showed in that game, and Louisville's lopsided score was because of who they played more than their performance.
Louisville's defense dominated a poor offensive team in Austin Peay, which allowed them to avoid paying for going just 4-of-10 on third down. Austin Peay's defense also couldn't recover quickly thanks to their offense's poor showing, which led Louisville to gain 571 total yards and 9.2 yards per play. It's risky considering the disparity in these two teams' results in Week 1, but it also isn't smart to overreact to one game.
Why Louisville Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Jax State defense left plenty of questions in their season opener. They allowed double-digits in every quarter against Coastal Carolina, while Tyler Huff had just 173 passing yards and two interceptions. It could be a good opportunity for Tyler Shough and Isaac Brown to build on their first game. Shough threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns, while Brown was the leading rusher with 123 yards on five carries.
Final Jax State-Louisville Prediction & Pick
The line for this game opened at -20.5, but Louisville's domination of Austin Peay and Jax State's inability to stop Coastal Carolina has increased the line by eight points. The line would have been too good to pass up at 20, but Jax State may not be bad enough to lose to Louisville by more than four touchdowns. They lost by 28 points to Coastal Carolina in the season's first game, and it felt like it couldn't get much worse for them. Louisville's offense was dominant against Austin Peay, but it should be a more difficult task against Jax State.
The Gamecocks scored 27 points against Coastal Carolina and may do the same against an overrated Louisville defense. Take Jax State to stay within the number and cover the growing spread.
Final Jax State-Louisville Prediction & Pick: Jax State +28.5 (-105)
