Louisville football takes on SMU this Saturday afternoon at L&N Stadium in a game with major implications. Louisville vs. SMU is one of three rank-vs.- rank matchups this weekend, and for the second time this season, the Cardinals will face a top-20 team.
Louisville football vs SMU early odds and a prediction
The Cardinals and the Mustangs have met three times in program history, including the previous two seasons. Louisville is 0-3 against SMU in program history, including 0-2 since the Mustangs joined the conference. The Cardinals will look for that first program win over SMU this Saturday, and it would be a huge one if they can make it happen.
Louisville has a huge opportunity this weekend against SMU
Entering the season, Miami was the dominant favorite to not only make the ACC Championship game but to win the ACC Title. As we enter Week 3, the Hurricanes are 2-0 and still the dominant favorites in both categories, with -600 odds to make it to Charlotte and -220 odds to win it all.
The big conversation in the ACC was who Miami would face. Many analysts predicted who would win this Week 3 matchup. The Cardinals and Mustangs have very similar odds, and both have a favorable schedule, putting a lot of pressure on this Week 3 showdown.
Right now, SMU appears as the slight favorite over Louisville to make it to Charlotte and to win the ACC title, as the Mustangs have +750 odds to win the ACC Title and +170 odds to make it to the game. As for the Cards, they are just behind SMU, with the third-highest odds in the conference at +850 to win the whole thing and +230 to make it to the big game.
While it is only Week 3 and this game doesn’t define the season, it does have massive implications. If Louisville defeats SMU, there is a good chance these two teams finish with the same record or even win out. If that happens, the Cardinals would obviously have the edge over SMU in either case because they hold the head-to-head advantage over the Mustangs.
It is very rare for a Week 3 matchup to have this many implications, but the Cardinals' ACC Championship hopes could soar or take a huge hit depending on this Saturday’s outcome.
“They play each other in week 3, and you are asking yourself, is this going to be a one-bid league or a multi-bid league?” stated Josh Pate. “Well, the result of that game and what the winner does the rest of the year could go a long way in answering that.”
“Look at the respective schedules after week 3. Neither of these teams play Miami in the regular season. Neither of these teams play Clemson in the regular season," stated Pate. "So, there is a distinct possibility if either of them or both of them win their Week 1 game, and the winner of this game comes out at 3-0, you are looking at a bona fide playoff team contender at that point.”
Now, Louisville, of course, lost to Ole Miss, but these quotes prove just how big this game is from a CFP standpoint. A win on Saturday and Louisville takes a huge step in the right direction toward the playoffs. However, a loss, and Louisville will have an uphill battle to reach Charlotte and the CFP.
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