The Louisville Cardinals got back on the winning track last weekend thanks to a late rally at Virginia, but now coach Jeff Brohm’s team faces its toughest task of the season.
On Saturday, the Cards welcome the Miami Hurricanes to town. With odds of +160 at ESPN BET Kentucky, Miami is considered one of the favorites to win the ACC. The Hurricanes are 6-0, ranked sixth in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 and are one of three teams currently 2-0 in the conference.
UofL (+1600 to win the ACC at ESPN BET) at 4-2 is one of three schools at 2-1 in league play. Clemson (+150) currently leads the ACC with a 4-0 conference record and 5-1 overall.
It’s a must-win game for Louisville if the Cards want to entertain any chance to play in the ACC Championship Game for the second straight year and potentially earn a bid to the College Football Playoff. Oddsmakers at Fanatics Kentucky Sportsbook currently have the Cardinals as a 4.5-point home underdog against the undefeated Canes.
At BetKentucky, we’ve developed odds on where coach Jeff Brohm’s team will land in the postseason. These, by the way, are for entertainment purposes only. You won’t find them at licensed Kentucky sportsbooks, such as BetMGM or Kentucky FanDuel sportsbook.
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Odds For Cardinals’ 2024-25 Bowl Game
Bowl
Location
Conference Opponent
Odds
Percentage Chance
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl
Bronx, NY
Vs. Big Ten
-150
60.0%
Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Charlotte, NC
Vs. Big Ten
+650
13.3%
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, FL
Vs. SEC
+800
11.1%
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
El Paso, TX
Vs. ACC or former Pac12
+850
10.5%
The Field/No Bowl
+1850
5.1%
Lousiville needs two more victories out of its remaining six contests to become bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.
For now, BetKentucky projects Louisville to go to The Bronx, where they’d likely face a Big Ten opponent in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankees Stadium. It would be the first time the Cards have played in that bowl game.
Previewing Canes Vs. Cards
While Louisville is the underdog at home, there are a couple factors that could play in the Cards’ advantage on Saturday. For starters, Louisville has beaten a Top 10 team at home in each of the past two seasons. Two years ago, the Cardinals routed then-No. 10 Wake Forest 48-21, and last year, UofL fans stormed the field after a 33-20 victory over then-No. 10 Notre Dame.
The other factor is that Miami is coming off its bye week, and the Canes haven’t won after a bye since the 2016 season, according to StateoftheU.com. In addition, Miami has had close calls in its two most recent games. Two weeks ago, the Canes rallied from down 28-10 at California to score 21 fourth-quarter points and pull out a 39-38 win.
Quarterback Cam Ward, who threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Elijah Arroyo with :26 left in the game, is one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Oddsmakers at bet365 Kentucky Sportsbook have him listed at +550 on their Heisman futures board.
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Louisville Bowl Game History
Year
Bowl
Result
2023
Holiday Bowl
Loss, 42-28 against USC
2022
Fenway Bowl
Win, 24-7 against Cincinnati
2021
First Responder Bowl
Loss, 31-28 against Air Force
2020
No Bowl Game
2019
Music City Bowl
Win, 38-28 vs. Mississippi State
Just like last year, Brohm has transformed this year’s team through the transfer portal. UofL brought in a quarterback and the hope is that Shough will finally stay healthy and can produce more consistently than Jack Plummer did last season.
The Cardinals’ offense looks almost completely new after the team lost Plummer, wide receiver Jamari Thrash and running backs Jawhar Jordan and Issac Guerendo graduated or applied for the NFL draft. However, the defense brought back eight starters from a team that was one of the toughest against the run in the country. That unit is led by defensive lineman and All-American candidate Ashton Gillotte, defensive back Benjamin Perry and linebacker T.J. Quinn.
Despite the outside chance they have of winning the ACC, the Cards are a longshot to win the national title this season. DraftKings has set UofL’s odds for winning its first championship at +13000.
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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