Louisville football will look to bounce back from its disappointing loss to Cal this past weekend as the Cards will face Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. Louisville fans left L&N Stadium absolutely stunned as the Cards were 18.5-point favorites over the Golden Bears, and with everything on the line, the Cardinals couldn't get it done, giving up the game-winning touchdown on a 4th-and-goal in overtime.
Now, with the ACC Title and College Football Playoffs most likely out of the picture, Brohm will try to rally his troops as the Cards can still finish the regular season with 10 wins, which would be a significant milestone. The Tigers come into town this Friday night, November 14, in what was expected to be a massive ACC showdown, but after an underwhelming season by the Tigers, Louisville is in a must-win situation.
The Cardinals fell to No. 19 in the AP Poll and are 7-2 on the season, with a 4-2 record in the ACC. Clemson is coming off a 24-10 win over Florida State to improve to 4-5 on the season and 3-4 in the ACC.
So, let's break down the early odds and make an early prediction for this ACC matchup.
Related: 5 immediate observations following Louisville’s devastating loss against California
Louisville vs Clemson odds
Despite the difference in the Cardinals' and Tigers' records, many are expecting this to be a close game. ESPN Analytics gives Louisville just a 54.9 percent chance of winning this game, and FanDuel has the Cardinals opening up as 3.5-point favorites, with the over-under at 51.5 points.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 7am ET on Saturday, Nov. 7.
Spread: Louisville -3.5
Moneyline: Louisville -164 Clemson +136
Over/Under: 51.5
Prediction
The Clemson Tigers have played much better football lately, despite losing two of their last three games. Cade Klubnik has played well in consecutive games since his return, throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown last week against the Seminoles and 385 yards and two touchdowns against Duke. The Cardinals' defense and secondary must step up and limit the big plays down the field, as this was a key reason for their loss last week.
Louisville's offense must start fast and set the tone for this game, and Miller Moss needs to be more effective in the pocket. This is going to take four quarters to win this game, and it might be a game similar to the one against Miami. Keyjuan Brown showed last week that he can lead this offense, and if the Cardinals want to win, the rushing attack is clearly going to be the reason why. Moss has to play better under pressure, and he has to avoid the turnovers.
Louisville is going to win this game, but it will come down to the fourth quarter, and it will be Brown who punches it in the end zone to secure a Cardinals victory.
Prediction: Louisville 31 Clemson 27