The Louisville Cardinals (0-1) and UCF Knights (1-0) meet Friday at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Louisville vs. UCF odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Cardinals got off to a horrendous and unexpected start as they fell 31-7 last week at Syracuse. Louisville was thrashed for 207 rushing yards and was minus-3 in turnover margin.
The Knights started off with a 56-10 rout of South Carolina State from the FCS, covering a 43.5-point spread in the process. UCF rolled for 297 rushing yards against the Bulldogs, something it will look to continue against the Louisville rush D.
Check out: AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY sports
Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Louisville at UCF odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Louisville +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | UCF -230 (bet $230 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Louisville +6.5 (-112) | UCF -6.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 61.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Louisville at UCF picks and predictions
Prediction
UCF 34, Louisville 27
Money line
UCF (-230) will cost you more than two times your potential return, and that’s a little too expensive. Yes, Louisville was bad last week, but the Cardinals still have an impressive dual-threat QB Malik Cunningham. If the team can clean up the turnovers, they could easily bounce back and win this road game.
PASS.
Against the spread
UCF -6.5 (-108) is worth playing, as the Knights really ran the ball well, albeit against an undersized FCS defensive unit.
Louisville really struggled against the Syracuse rushing attack last week, and even if it can take better care of the ball, I am not necessarily convinced that the Cards can slow down the Knights in their house.
Louisville is just 7-15-1 ATS in the past 23 road games and 3-8 ATS in its previous 11 against AAC teams. On the flip side, UCF is 4-1 ATS in the past 5 non-conference battles.
Over/Under
UNDER 61.5 (-110) is the lean here, but go lightly. The Over is 7-2 in Louisville’s past 9 non-conference games, and it was very giving last week in Syracuse.
You’ll also be going against one big trend for UCF, as the Over is 9-0 in its last 9 September games and 5-1 in its last 6 non-conference outings for the Knights.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this game or any other NCAA football matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]