The Louisville Cardinals (+6) are set to face off against their in-conference rival Virginia Cavaliers (-6) at David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. The critical afternoon matchup will start at 12:30 p.m. ET and ACC Network will showcase the action.
Betting Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers
In this Saturday Atlantic Coast game, Virginia has been projected as the favorite and is currently giving up 6 points. The Cardinals are also receiving +190 moneyline odds while the Cavaliers are -240. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 51 points, and if one team catches a lucky break early, it’ll likely produce a nice betting opportunity in-game.
Early action has been swaying toward the Wahoos. The opening line was -4 and the game’s total hasn’t moved after being set initially at 51.
The Cardinals have gained 0.0 units so far and are 0-3 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U mark of 1-2.
The Cavaliers have gained 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 3-0 ATS and have an O/U record of 1-1.
The Cardinals have gone 2-1 straight up (SU) and they haven’t faced any ACC competition yet. The Cavaliers are 2-1 SU overall and are also 0-0 SU in conference play.
The Cards are coming off a 20-17 victory over Western Kentucky last week. Malik Cunningham completed just 10-of-18 passes for 88 yards. Cunningham (129 rushing yards on 21 attempts) also led the ground attack and was complemented by Dae Williams (58 yards on nine carries, two TDs). Jaylen Smith (three receptions, 38 yards) and Devante Peete (two catches, 17 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Virginia just earned a 45-31 win over Ohio. Bryce Perkins completed 25-of-30 passes for 379 yards and three touchdowns. Jordan Ellis (171 rushing yards on 19 attempts, three TDs) and the signal-caller Perkins (eight yards on 10 carries) led the running game as Olamide Zaccheaus (nine receptions, 247 yards, two TDs) and Hasise Dubois (six catches, 69 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Louisville has run the ball on 55.4 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Virginia has a rush percentage of 59.3 percent. The Cardinals have rushed for 139.7 yards/game and have four scores on the ground this year. The Wahoos are averaging 220.7 rush yards per game and have seven total rushing TDs.
The Cards offensive scheme has averaged 168.0 yards through the air overall and has three passing scores so far. The Wahoos have produced 225.3 pass yards per outing and have seven total pass TDs.
Defensively, Louisville has let opponents run for an average of 188.0 yards and pass for 198.0 yards per game. The Virginia defense has allowed 195.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 129.7 yards per game on the ground. The Wahoos are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.62 to opposing QBs, while the Cardinals have given up a 7.07 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Cunningham has amassed 88 yards on the year, and has completed 56 percent of his 18 attempts with zero scores through the air and has yet to throw an interception. Cunningham’s got a 4.89 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 6.69 over the last two games.
On the other sideline, Bryce Perkins has completed 38-of-54 passes for 564 yards, five TDs and one INT. Perkins’ ANY/A stands at 9.70 for the year and 9.82 across his last two games.
When these two schools faced one another a year ago, Louisville got the victory over Virginia, 38-21.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers Free NCAA Betting Tip
SU Winner: Louisville, ATS Winner: Louisville, O/U: Under
