LOUISVILLE vs SYRACUSE
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, November 9, 2018
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -20.5
PREDICTION: SYRACUSE , LOUISVILLE

Oddsmakers currently have the SYRACUSE listed as -20.5 point favorites versus the LOUISVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 68.5.

In the midst of a three-game winning streak and a climb up the rankings, No. 13 Syracuse hosts slumping Louisville in an ACC matchup on Friday. The Orange are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013, ranked 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings, and have a chance, with a win against the Cardinals, to go undefeated at home for the first time since 2001.

The key for the Orange has been a dynamic offense featuring senior quarterback Eric Dungey (13 passing TDs, 10 rushing TDs). He was quiet last week in a 41-24 triumph over Wake Forest, but the team racked up five rushing scores – one by Dungey – in scoring 40-plus points for the third straight game. In all, Syracuse is averaging 43.3 points to rank eighth nationally, while the Louisville defense comes in at 125th nationally in defense (40.8 points allowed per game). The Cardinals were smashed by Clemson last week, 77-16, as the team gave up 661 total yards, including 492 on the ground.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Syracuse -21

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (2-7, 0-6 ACC): This current six-game skid is the longest losing streak for Louisville since the team dropped 10 in a row spanning the 1997 and 1998 seasons. “I’m not too happy with the way we played, particularly on defense,” coach Bobby Petrino said, “but you have to take your hat off to Clemson.” The veteran coach hopes his team bounces back behind Jawon Pass, who has completed more than 58 percent of his passes only once all season and has thrown at least one interception in seven of the nine games.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (7-2, 4-2): This is a big game for the Orange, who cannot afford a loss if they hope to reach a major bowl game, especially with meetings with Notre Dame (netural site) and Boston College (road) still remaining on their schedule. While Dungey has been solid, fellow senior Jamal Custis leads the team in receiving yards (734) and receiving scores (five). “Can’t say enough about what (the seniors have) done to change this culture … and give us an opportunity to do greater things in the future,” coach Dino Babers said. “Whatever happens, they’re going to be known as the class that got this thing turned around and headed in the right direction.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Louisville has taken four straight meetings, including a 56-10 thumping of the Orange last season.

2. Syracuse has won 13 of its last 16 weekday games.

3. The Orange are a plus-12 in turnover margin, the best mark in the ACC.

PREDICTION: Syracuse 55, Louisville 19

The post LOUISVILLE vs. SYRACUSE 11/9/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

GEORGIA TECH vs LOUISVILLE
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, October 5, 2018
Where: Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 4
PREDICTION: LOUISVILLE , GEORGIA TECH

Oddsmakers currently have the LOUISVILLE listed as 4 point favorites versus the GEORGIA TECH, while the game’s total is sitting at 57.

Georgia Tech suffered through a miserable start to the season, losing three of their first four contests, but hopes to continue taking advantage of a soft spot in its schedule Friday at Louisville in the first-ever matchup between the ACC teams. The Yellow Jackets, who have struggled to get their running game on track at times this season, piled up 372 yards on the ground in a 63-17 rout of Bowling Green last week and now aim for their first road victory since the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl.

“It’s hard to win, in general,” Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson told reporters Tuesday regarding his team’s six-game road losing streak. “It’s hard to win on the road. We don’t talk about that.” The Cardinals held a three-point lead against Florida State with two minutes remaining last week, but coach Bobby Petrino called for a pass that was intercepted, setting up the game-winning touchdown in a crushing 28-24 defeat. “You’ve got to work at it, fight through it, improve, have a good attitude and get better,” Petrino told reporters on Monday, accepting the blame for the play call. There were some positives for Louisville last week, as former starting quarterback Jawon Pass regained his job by throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Georgia Tech -4

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (2-3, 0-2 ACC): The Yellow Jackets were far smoother running the triple-option last week than in a blowout loss to Clemson in their previous game, certainly benefiting from the caliber of the opposing defense. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall ran for two touchdowns and completed 5-of-6 passes for 160 yards, while backup Tobias Oliver added 115 yards rushing and two scores. Linebacker Brant Mitchell recorded a season-high eight tackles last week.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (2-3, 0-2): Pass completed 24-of-45 attempts and rushed for a score but missed several open targets and threw interceptions on the Cardinals’ final two drives. Louisville is 113th in the nation in rushing offense, averaging just 120 yards, but Hassan Hall finished with 57 on 11 carries. Linebacker P.J. Blue finished with eight tackles, bringing his total over the last two games to 14.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Louisville WR Jaylen Smith recorded his sixth 100-yard receiving performance of his career last week, tying him for 10th on the school’s all-time list.

2. The Yellow Jackets already have matched last season’s total of 10 forced turnovers and are tied for 13th in the nation in that category.

3. The Cardinals are 12-5 at home in ACC play since joining the league in 2014.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 23, Louisville 17

The post GEORGIA TECH vs. LOUISVILLE 10/5/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

LOUISVILLE vs ALABAMA
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 1, 2018
Where: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -25.5
PREDICTION: ALABAMA , LOUISVILLE

Oddsmakers currently have the ALABAMA listed as -25.5 point favorites versus the LOUISVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 61.

Top-ranked Alabama begins its quest for its sixth national championship under coach Nick Saban when the Crimson Tide oppose Louisville on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Alabama, which defeated Georgia in last season’s College Football Playoff title game, is looking to win 12 or more games for the fifth consecutive season.

The quarterback situation remains in flux with junior Jalen Hurts and sophomore Tua Tagovailoa listed as co-No. 1s on the depth chart, and Saban has not indicated which way he’s leaning in terms of a starter. “They’ve both done a good job in fall camp,” Saban said at a press conference. “We’re excited about the progress both guys have made and what they’re capable of doing.” Louisville is breaking in a new starting signal-caller in sophomore Jawon Pass and coach Bobby Petrino understands what a huge challenge Pass and his team are facing. “The No. 1 thing we have to do is believe that we can go down there and beat them so that when you truly believe in something, then you go out and play your best, play to the best of your ability, and that’s what’s important for us,” Petrino said at a press conference. “If there’s any disbelief at all, usually you underachieve, and that’s the main thing we can’t do. We need to go play our best game to give us an opportunity to win.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Alabama -24.5

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (2017: 8-5): Pass (33 career passing attempts) has big shoes to fill as the replacement for 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, and Petrino said he has been pleased with the youngster’s accuracy and decision-making during fall camp. Senior receiver Jaylen Smith (appendectomy on Aug. 3) is expected to play against the Crimson Tide and aims to build on a stellar 2017 campaign in which he caught 60 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore linebacker Dorian Etheridge (team-high 83 tackles last season) and junior defensive end Jonathan Greenard (team-best 15.5 tackles for loss, including seven sacks) lead the defensive unit under new coordinator Brian VanGorder.

ABOUT ALABAMA (2017: 13-1): The quarterback competition is intriguing as Hurts is 26-2 as a starter and ranks fourth in school history with 40 career touchdown passes, while Tagovailoa (no career starts) threw three touchdowns in the national title game to rally the Crimson Tide to the victory. Saban declined to reveal if both quarterbacks will see action, cutting off a question with this: “Look, none of that’s been decided yet. I wish we could talk about something else because I don’t really have anything else to say about it.” The defense will again be strong with junior defensive end Raekwon Davis (team-best 8.5 sacks last season) being the best of the bunch, but the secondary is breaking in four new starters and two outside linebackers – junior Terrell Lewis and sophomore Christopher Allen – have been lost with season-ending knee injuries.

EXTRA POINTS
1. Alabama has won two of the three previous meetings, but the Cardinals routed the Crimson Tide 34-7 in the Fiesta Bowl following the 1990 regular season.
2. Smith is 45 yards away from becoming the 11th Louisville player to reach 2,000 career receiving yards.
3. Crimson Tide senior RB Damien Harris (2,194 career rushing yards) has a career average of 6.7 yards per carry, third in program history behind Wilbur Jackson (7.2 from 1971-73) and Eddie Lacy (6.8 from 2010-12).

PREDICTION: Alabama 38, Louisville 19

The post LOUISVILLE vs. ALABAMA 9/1/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

Syracuse Orange vs Louisville Cardinals
When: 2:00 PM  ET, Sunday, February 26, 2017
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky

TV: 2 p.m. ET, CBS
LINE: -10
PREDICTION: Louisville 75, Syracuse 69

Oddsmakers currently have the LOUISVILLE listed as -10 point favorites versus the SYRACUSE, while the game’s total is sitting at 143.5.

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and his former pupil, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, each invoked images of powers beyond this world when the Cardinals came away with an overtime win at the Carrier Dome less than two weeks ago. The two Hall-of-Fame coaches match wits for the second time in 13 days Sunday when No. 6 Louisville attempts to keep its faint hopes of claiming a share of the ACC regular-season title alive versus the Orange.

Boeheim praised his team’s determination following Syracuse’s 76-72 loss to Louisville on Feb. 13, telling reporters the Orange gave “a Herculean effort” by first overcoming an early 14-point deficit and later nearly forcing a second extra period after falling behind by eight with 39 seconds left in overtime. Pitino countered by saying Ryan McMahon “put on a Superman outfit and won the game for us” as his freshman sharpshooter scored all seven of his points after regulation, including a pair of late free throws to seal it. The Cardinals, who are one of three teams trailing league-leading North Carolina by 2 1/2 games, missed out on their chance to put some serious heat on the Tar Heels on Wednesday as they fell 74-63 in Chapel Hill. Syracuse continued its delicate balancing act on the NCAA Tournament bubble on Wednesday, getting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from John Gillon to stun No. 11 Duke and end a three-game skid.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (17-12, 9-7 ACC): Gillon (11.1 points, 5.4 assists) made up for a seven-point offensive effort in last Sunday’s loss at Georgia Tech by scoring 19 of his game-high 26 in the second half Wednesday, boosting the graduate transfer’s scoring average over his last eight outings to 18.4. Sophomore forward Tyler Lydon (13.5 points, 8.1 rebounds) has played every minute of the last 10 games, while Andrew White III (team-high 17.5 points) has done the same over the last nine contests, although the latter is coming off his first single-digit scoring effort in 17 games. Freshman guard Tyus Battle (10.1 points) is averaging 14.5 points on 10-of-19 from the field over his last two outings after totaling 11 points on 4-of-19 shooting over his previous three games.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (22-6, 10-5): The Cardinals (44.3 percent) outshot the Tar Heels (37.1), but they gave themselves little chance in most of the other important facets of the game, losing the rebounding battle 46-33 while shooting 5-for-20 beyond the arc and 4-of-13 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Donovan Mitchell (team-high 15.8 points) has bettered his current scoring mark in each of his last eight outings after tallying 21 against North Carolina and is averaging 19.5 points over his last 15 contests. Second-leading scorer Quentin Snider (12.4) is scoring 13.8 points per game over his last four outings after missing the previous six with a hip injury, while backup point guard Tony Hicks (hand) returned to action Wednesday with two points in four minutes following his own six-game absence.

TIP-INS
1. Louisville leads the all-time series 17-8, winning four of the last five meetings.
2. Gillon has made a school-record 43 consecutive free throws.
3. Despite scoring 22 points in the first meeting, White finished 7-of-24 from the field and 2-of-14 beyond the arc.

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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals
When: 11/26/2016 12:00 PM

TV: Noon ET, ESPN.
LINE: Louisville -26.
PREDICTION: Louisville 45, Kentucky 14

Oddsmakers currently have the Cardinals listed as 27½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game’s total is sitting at 71.

The disappointment of the loss to Houston last week still seems to be lingering a bit with Louisville heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Kentucky.

The No. 11 Cardinals (9-2, 7-1 ACC) and unranked Wildcats (6-5, 4-4 SEC) kick off at noon ET at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville with ESPN cameras covering the action.

The 36-10 whipping by the Cougars essentially squashed whatever hopes the Cardinals had of garnering one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. At 11-1, they would have been in the conversation. At 10-2, not so much.

“We blew it. We had an opportunity sitting there,” coach Bobby Petrino said immediately after the game. “It was one of those situations where they were better than us tonight. There’s no question about it.”

Mistakes, which started with the Cardinals fumbling the opening kickoff away to set up Houston’s first touchdown, led to their downfall. They lost two other fumbles, were penalized 15 times for 114 yards, allowed a remarkable 11 sacks, and got only one touchdown and a field goal on three trips inside the red zone.

“When you look at a video when you get beat, you always consider two things,” Petrino said. “Did we just get beat, or did we beat ourselves?

“Certainly that game was a combination of the two.”

But it’s time to move on, and Petrino thinks the Cardinals have.

“Our focus is completely on this game,” he said, looking to Kentucky. “And winning this game and doing everything we need to do be successful in winning this football game. And, like I said, send the seniors out with a win.”

The Wildcats come into the affair having already reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010 with last week’s 49-13 win over Austin Peay, unlike the last two years when they needed to beat Louisville for a sixth win. Thus they will be playing without that kind of pressure weighing on them.

“I don’t know if it is a relief,” Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said, “but it is certainly better. I wish we were sitting at seven or eight, but definitely a better situation.”

Freshman Benny Snell has rushed for a Kentucky freshman-record 1,006 yards, a good bunch of it by taking direct snaps from the “wildcat” formation. Junior Boom Williams has amassed 1,072 yards in more conventional fashion.

“They’ve made a commitment to running the football,” Petrino said, “We know going into the game we’re going to need to stop the run, and we’re going to need to the ball to win the game.

“So it should be a good matchup.”

Quarterback Stephen Johnson, a junior college transfer who took over when Drew Barker suffered a season-ending back injury the third game of the season, also has been a big key in the Wildcats’ turnaround from an 0-2 start.

“They now have a quarterback that can run the ball and throw the ball deep,” Petrino said. “And they’re running a lot of the wildcat game. I think the installation of the quarterback has really helped because he has a strong arm and can throw the deep ball.

“Once you loosen people up, you can run the football.”

Of course, Louisville has a pretty good runner and passer at quarterback as well. Sophomore Lamar Jackson has rushed for nearly 125 yards a game and passed for another 283. He has scored 19 touchdowns and passed for another 28.

He has Stoops’ respect.

“What I admire most about Lamar Jackson is you can see his leadership and you can see his toughness,” Stoops said. “Just watching some of their games when I could get a chance throughout the year, and, of course, on film you don’t see as much as on TV, but you could see how strong he is and what type of leader he is.

“They are good across the board and well-coached across the board, but when they need a play he is there. He will either run or throw it or make a good decision and will his team to wins.

“You have to have a lot of respect for someone like that.”

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