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Virginia looks to stay undefeated in conference play as they host Louisville. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Louisville-Virginia prediction and pick.
Louisville enters the game sitting at 3-2 on the year. They opened with wins over Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, and Georgia Tech. They would then visit Notre Dame. Louisville opened up with a 7-0 lead but would be down 24-14 at the half. Louisville would make it a seven-point game but would fall 31-24. Last time out, they would face SMU. SMU took a 24-13 lead into the half, but SMU would tie the game in the third quarter. Still, they would allow a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and would not score, losing 34-27.
Meanwhile, Virginia is 4-1 on the year. They opened up with a win over Richmond before taking a one-point victory with the help of two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to win 31-30. Virginia would then fall to Maryland but would rebound with back-to-back wins. First, they won on the road at Coastal Carolina before beating Boston College 24-14 at home.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Louisville-Virginia Odds
Louisville: -7.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -260
Virginia: +7.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +210
Over: 54.5 (-115)
Under: 54.5 (-105)
How to Watch Louisville vs. Virginia
Time: 3:30 PM ET/ 12:30 PM PT
TV: ACC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Louisville Could Cover The Spread/Win
Tyler Shough has led the Louisville offense this year. He has completed 98 of 152 passes this year for 1,443 yards. Further, he has 13 touchdown passes this year while being sacked just twice this year. Further, he has been sacked just seven times this year.
His top target this year has been Ja'Corey Brooks. Brooks has 25 receptions this year for 489 yards and six touchdowns this year. Meanwhile, Chris Bell has 11 receptions this year for 195 yards and two scores. Rounding out the top receivers this year has been tight end Jamari Johnson. Johnson has nine receptions for 121 yards on the year but has not scored. In the running game, Isaac Brown has led the way. He has 39 carries for 362 yards on the year with a touchdown. Meanwhile, Keyjuan Brown has been solid as well. He has 27 carries for 160 yards and two scores. Finally, Duke Watson has carried the ball just 13 times this year, but for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Louisville is 59th in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting 57th in opponent yards per game. They are 53rd against the rush while sitting 79th against the pass. Louisville has ten sacks on the year, with Tramel Logan having three. Tamarion McDonald and Jared Dawson both have two sacks as well. McDonald has also recovered two fumbles. Further, fellow defensive lineman Ramon Puryear has two fumble recoveries, both of them resulting in touchdowns.
Why Virginia Could Cover The Spread/Win
Anthony Colandrea leads the way for Virginia this year. He has completed 99 of 149 passes this year for 1,211 yards with eight touchdowns on the year. Still, he has thrown four interceptions this year. Colandrea has been sacked eight times but has still run 49 times for 158 yards and two scores.
His top target has been Malachi Fields. He has brought in 28 receptions for 412 yards this year with three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Trell Harris has been solid. He has brought in 13 receptions this year for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Finally, tight-end Tyler Neville has been solid. He has 12 receptions for 197 yards and two scores. In the running game, Xavier Brown has led the way in terms of yards. He has just 38 carries but for 315 yards. He has not scored this year. Kobe Pace has been the primary back. He has 61 carries on the year for 293 yards with two touchdowns.
Virginia is 53rd in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 89th in opponent yards per game. They are 19th against the run while sitting 124th against the pass. Antonio Clary has been solid this year. He leads the team with 48 tackles on the year while breaking up three passes while having an interception and fumble recovery. Meanwhile, Jonas Sanker is second on the team in tackles, with a sack, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown this year. Finally, James Jackson, Kam Robinson, and Kam Butler all have two sacks on the year.
Final Louisville-Virginia Prediction & Pick
Odds in this tilt between Louisville and Virginia favor the road team in this one. Both defensive units have been solid this year. Louisville is allowing 24.5 points per game on the year while being strong on run defense. Virginia allows just 23.8 points per game and is also strong against the run. This is going to result in long-yardage third downs in this one. Both teams have struggled to convert third downs at times this year. Still, the big difference in this one is the Virginia pass defense against Tyler Shough. He will be able to put up plenty of yards and points in this one. Take Louisville in this game.
Final Louisville-Virginia Prediction & Pick: Louisville -7.5 (-102)
