Miami Hurricanes at Louisville Cardinals Odds & Game Pick (2020)
With the announcement of the Big Ten returning to play in October this week, we are one major conference (Pac-12) away from having an outside chance at College Football Playoff this season. Before either of those two conferences see the field, the SEC will join the fun next week, and lines have begun to pop up across the sportsbook landscape.
Before any of those conferences get underway, the ACC has already arrived and with a top 25 matchup to boot, as Miami and Louisville face off Saturday night in prime time at the house that Papa John built.
Let’s take a closer look at the first true top 25 matchup that this sure to be crazy 2020 college football season has to offer.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Details
- Opening Lines: Louisville -1.5; O/U 60.5
- Current Line: Louisville -2.5
- O/U: 64.5
- Location: Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY
- Start Time: 7:30 pm ET
- Television: ABC
- Last Meeting: November 9, 2019 – Miami 52, Louisville 27
Overview
After going 9-5 in his first year as head coach in Louisville, Scott Satterfield opened up his 2020 campaign with a bang, putting up 28 points in the first against a formidable Conference USA opponent in Western Kentucky. Junior quarterback Malik Cunningham picked up right where he left off from last season, scoring four touchdowns and throwing for a career-high 343 yards through the air.
On the defensive side of the ball, the 21 points scored by Western Kentucky are misleading, as they were on drives of 1 and 4 yards following fumbles by Louisville in their own territory.
The real test of just how much Louisville’s defense has improved since a rocky 2019 campaign will certainly come this week in the form of slowing down a high powered Miami unit. Led by Heisman candidate and Houston transfer D’Eriq King, this Miami team will ride and die with this Hurricane offense as the season progresses.
In Miami’s opener against UAB, all King really had to do was hand the ball off to running back Camron Harris, whose 134 yards and two touchdowns ate up much of the clock in the middle part of this game.
Trends
- The favorite is 4-0 ATS in the last four between these two teams
- The over is 5-1 in Miami’s last six games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing the previous week
Bottom Line
Expectations are sky-high for both of these second-year head coaches, and this early season game in an abbreviated 2020 campaign is critical for both. While both rely heavily on their offense, their defenses should very well tell the story in this one, in which regard I lean to Miami as having the unit that has most improved.
Additionally, Miami’s win over UAB last week was the more impressive week one performance, and being able to largely keep King’s skills out of view is an advantage heading into one where they will certainly be needed. I look for the return of Miami All-American tight end Brevin Jordan from injury to be the difference in this one.
FanDuel Sportsbook: View our review and access special sports betting offers >>
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.