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Louisville had a great season and can end the season well with a win in the Sun Bowl. Washington was very inconsistent this year and barely got bowl-eligible. This should be a great game, even with the opt-outs for Louisville. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Louisville-Washington prediction and pick.
Louisville-Washington Last Game – Matchup History
Louisville and Washington meet in the Sun Bowl this season. Louisville had a great season this year, highlighted by a win against Clemson, while Washington had a very inconsistent season and barely made it to bowl eligibility.
Overall Series: These two teams have never met before
Here are the Louisville-Washington College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Louisville-Washington Odds
Louisville: -2.5 (-114)
Moneyline: -137
Washington: +2.5 (-106)
Moneyline: +114
Over: 49.5 (-110)
Under: 49.5 (-110)
How to Watch Louisville vs. Washington
Time: 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT
Article Continues Below
TV: CBS
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Louisville Could Cover The Spread/Win
Louisville has been great this season on offense. They are averaging 455.8 yards and 36.6 points per game. The key for the offense was Tyler Shough, but he is not playing because he opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Harrison Bailey is starting at quarterback. Bailey is eight for eight on his passes this year for 63 yards, but no touchdowns or interceptions. He still has great potential as a senior and former four-star recruit. In the receiving corps, Ja'Corey Brooks is the best pass-catcher, and he has 1,013 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 61 receptions. The running game has also been solid with Isaac Brown. He has 1,074 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 147 carries. Bailey has a lot of potential and can keep the offense steady in this matchup against Washington. They should be able to score on this Washington defense because they have not been that impressive this year, even with a backup quarterback.
The Louisville defense has been inconsistent this season. They are allowing 360.1 yards and 23.3 points per game. They are playing about the same against the pass and the run this season. They allow 224.7 yards through the air and 135.4 yards per game on the ground. Louisville has a lot of talent up front, with Ahston Gillotte, Jared Dawson, and Tramel Logan all leading the way. This is a big test for the Louisville defense because the Washington offense has talent and has shown flashes this year but has not found much consistency. This is a tough matchup, with some opt-outs coming from Louisville.
Why Washington Could Cover The Spread/Win
Washington's offense has been solid this season. The offense is averaging 383.7 total yards and 22.5 points per game. Demond Williams is starting at quarterback in this game after Will Rogers was benched recently. Williams has 570 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 76.7% completion percentage this season. Denzel Boston has been the key player in the receiving corps. He has 807 yards and 10 touchdowns on 60 receptions. The running game has also been great, thanks to Jonah Coleman. He has 1,011 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 184 carries. This offense should look much better in this game, with Williams under center in this new era of Washington football. Louisville has a solid defense and can slow Washington down, but it will be more difficult with Williams.
Washington's defense has been solid this season. They allow 324.8 yards and 22.8 points per game, the second-best passing defense in the Big Ten. However, they struggle against the ground game, allowing 166.8 yards through the air and 158.1 yards on the ground. Louisville has a great offense this year, but it hurts in this game not having Tyler Shough available under center. The linebackers are the best area for this Washington defense, led by Carson Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala. Louisville should be able to score on this defense, but Washington has a better matchup without Shough, instead, Harrison Bailey, who has experience but is not as talented.
Final Louisville-Washington Prediction & Pick
Louisville has suffered more from opt-outs than Washington entering this game. The key difference is Tyler Shough's decision to opt out of the NFL Draft and Louisville's choice to use Harrison Bailey under center instead. Demond Williams has taken complete control of the Washington offense and has helped it look much better as a unit. These two defenses are good but not great, and it comes down to which quarterback can take advantage. Demond Williams and Washington cover and win outright in this game against Louisville.
Final Louisville-Washington Prediction & Pick: Washington +2.5 (-106)
