The Louisville Cardinals take on the Kentucky Wildcats. Check out our college football odds series for our Louisville Kentucky prediction and pick.
The Kentucky Wildcats have labored through this season. They started brightly, winning at Florida and giving the strong impression that they could finish second in the SEC East behind Georgia. Kentucky was a top-10 team in the polls and looked like a contender for a top-tier bowl game at the very least. No one ever thought Kentucky would actually beat Georgia, but the goal was to be a strong second in the SEC, go 10-2, and grab a New Year's Six bowl, something Kentucky hadn't done since the days of Bear Bryant, who coached the school just after World War II.
In September, it seemed that goal was within reach. Then came a number of hardships which snowballed into brutal setbacks.
It has been a rough ride for coach Mark Stoops. Will Levis, the team's starting quarterback, has been hurt, which was one of the big speedbumps for the team this year. However, even without Levis, it was startling to see Kentucky get cleanly beaten at home by a South Carolina team which had been struggling for most of the season. Kentucky watched Tennessee ascend to that second spot in the SEC East, the spot UK hoped to attain. That was a product of the Vols being good more than anything else, but Kentucky needed to take care of its business in other games not involving Tennessee. The Wildcats instead lost at home to Vanderbilt, a result which snapped a 26-game SEC losing streak for Vandy. Kentucky has lost games this season it frankly shouldn't have lost.
Louisville has had its own roller-coaster of a season, but the trend line has moved in a good direction for the Cardinals. Louisville was whacked in Week 1 by Syracuse, and it then lost to Florida State on a night when the Seminoles did not have their starting quarterback. Rock bottom for Louisville came when it lost to a bad Boston College team. Coach Scott Satterfield was on the hot seat and the natives were restless.
The Cardinals found a way to bounce back.
They defeated Pittsburgh, last year's ACC Coastal Division champion. Then they beat Wake Forest and North Carolina State to engineer a genuine turnaround. This team could have given up hope. It could have stopped playing hard for Satterfield, who was embattled and under fire for most of the first two months of the season, but UL insisted on getting better, and now the Cardinals have the improvement to show for their efforts. A win over Kentucky in this Bluegrass rivalry would make the Cards' season complete.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Louisville-Kentucky College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Louisville-Kentucky Odds
Louisville Cardinals: +2.5 (-104)
Kentucky Wildcats: -2.5 (-118)
Over: 43.5 (-110)
Under: 43.5 (-110)
Why Louisville Could Cover the Spread
The Cardinals have simply been a much better team than Kentucky over the past month. The Cards were bad in September, went through a transition in October, and have been good in November. For Kentucky, it has roughly been the opposite trajectory this season. The Wildcats looked better in September than at any other point in the year. They look weary and very flawed right now.
Why Kentucky Could Cover the Spread
Kentucky has been through a difficult season, but the Wildcats did hold Georgia to just 16 points last week. This defense has shown it can still play really well, and if we see that kind of defensive performance against Louisville, the Wildcats should be fine.
Final Louisville-Kentucky Prediction & Pick
Kentucky is a more physical team than Louisville. It showed why when it stood up to Georgia last week. Kentucky should be able to win at the line of scrimmage, which usually decides football games.
Final Louisville-Kentucky Prediction & Pick: Kentucky -2.5
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