The college football betting world is in for a real treat Saturday as we get the game of the year (to this point) when the Louisville Cardinals host the Miami Hurricanes.
Year 2 of the Scott Satterfield field era at Louisville got off to a great start last week as the Cardinals took care of business against Western Kentucky, while graduate-transfer QB D'Eriq King showed why he can be a gamechanger for The U.
We break down the NCAA football odds with our best college football picks and predictions for Miami vs. Louisville on Saturday, September 19 with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Miami Hurricanes vs Lousiville Cardinals betting preview
Weather
It should be a beautiful night for football in Louisville. The forecast is calling for clear skies with temperatures hovering around the mid-60s at kickoff. There is also expected to be an eight-to-10 mph wind blowing towards the southern end zone. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
Miami: Matias Gasc P (Questionable).
Louisville: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
When a rock meets a hard place? The Under is 6-0 in Miami's last six games as a road underdog, but the Over is 6-0 Louisville’s last six games overall. Find more NCAA football betting trends for Miami vs. Louisville.
Against the spread (ATS) Pick
The quick turnaround at Louisville continued with the Cardinals 35-21 win over Western Kentucky as 11.5-point favorites last week. And frankly, if not for a few turnovers it shouldn’t have even been that close.
The Cardinals offense did what we expected them to do, putting up 487 yards on the Hilltoppers, led of course by Micale Cunningham. The junior quarterback paced the Cardinals’ offense by going 19-34 for 343 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 24 yards and a score on the ground.
Cunningham had two pass-catchers go over 100 yards (and that didn’t include Tutu Atwell), and running back Javian Hawkins chipped in with 71 yards on 19 carries.
On the other side, King and Miami got off to a bit of a slow start, but leaned on a dynamic running game to pull away from UAB 31-14, covering the spread as two touchdown faves.
King's passing and decision making can be a little erratic at times, but he is as dangerous as anyone in the country. He ended up going 15-for-23 for 141 yards and a touchdown while adding 83 yards and a score on the ground. And starting running back Cam’Ron Harris ran through the Blazers for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
While Miami won last year's matchup in a 52-27 blowout, a lot has changed since then. First of all, Jarren Williams threw six touchdown passes in that game. Williams is gone and the Hurricanes are now a run-first offense, which plays into the best part of the still-a-little-leaky-but-improved Cardinals defense.
Additionally, despite the big win, the Hurricanes didn’t do much to stop the Cardinals' three-headed monster in that game. Cunningham had three total touchdowns, Hawkins had 91 yards on 15 carries and Atwell went off for 142 yards and a score.
In the end, Louisville will have one too many weapons for Miami to handle as Satterfield and the Cardinals announce their presence on national TV by winning a thrilling back-and-forth contest.
PREDICTION: Louisville -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
This total hit the board as low as 59.5 at some books and has already jumped to 64.5. That’s because this game features some of the most dynamic players in the country. We’ve talked about King, Harris, Cunningham, Hawkins, and Atwell plenty. Plus, a couple of defenses with a hole or two.
As previously stated, the Cardinals defense should show some improvement this year compared to 2019, but they still allowed over 36 points per game last season and Western Kentucky put up 21 points on them last week. And King & Co. are just a tad more talented than what the Hilltoppers had to offer.
For the Hurricanes, the defense certainly has some talent on it, but the days of the Turnover Chain are gone. Despite still being an above-average defense last season, The U allowed 24 or more points seven times and now has to replace all three starting linebackers, as well as top defensive lineman Gregory Rousseau (opted out for NFL Draft prep). The sheer volume of Cardinals playmakers should cause problems for the Canes.
This game has 38-35 written all over it.
PREDICTION: Over 64.5 (-110)
Team to Score First Prop Pick
Louisville made a name for itself last season by getting off to hot starts. The Cardinals ranked 24th in the country when it came to first-quarter scoring, posting 8.1 points per contest, and that bumped up to 11.2 points when they played at home.
Louisville continued that against WKU, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter and then another on the opening play of the second. Meanwhile, Miami got off to a bit of a slower start last week and probably goes scoreless in the first quarter if not for a 66-yard run from Harris. The Cards are a good bet to open the scoring in this one.
PREDICTION: Team to score first - Louisville (-127)
Miami vs Louisville betting card
- Louisville -2.5 (-110)
- Over 64.5 (-110)
- Team to score first - Louisville (-127)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Miami vs. Louisville picks, you could win $55.14 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college football?
You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
