Louisville football is days away from the first game of the 2025 season. The college football season is officially here as the Cardinals will kick their season off against Eastern Kentucky with the hope of returning to the ACC Championship game.
Jeff Brohm and his Cardinals open up as dominant favorites over Eastern Kentucky, but as many college football fans know, anything is possible, so don't count your chickens before they hatch. Let's take a deep dive into what Vegas believes should happen for this showdown this Saturday, August 30, so all of Cardinals nation can make their own predictions for the first game of the 2025 season.
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Louisville vs. Eastern Kentucky Current Odds
As of Monday, Aug. 25, at 11 a.m EST, the Louisville Cardinals open up as a dominant 38.5 favorite over Eastern Kentucky according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over-under for the season opener is 56.5, while ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Cards a 97.8 percent chance of winning this game.
Louisville vs. Eastern Kentucky Prediction
Louisville's offense is way too explosive for the Colonels to keep up in this game. The spread of this game tells college football fans it is going to be a blowout and Louisville will score well over 40 points, indicating the offense gets out to a hot start.
However, Louisville has a lot of new faces on the defensive side, on their offensive line, and of course, in their quarterback position. The Cardinals have had summer and fall camp to gel and gain chemistry, but real games in the season mean a whole lot different than fall scrimmages. Expect Miller Moss and this defense to have a few hiccups here and there, but in the first game, that is expected.
Louisville dominated Austin Peay last year, 62-0, in their season opener and showed minor hiccups, and this game versus Eastern Kentucky should be similar. The Cardinals might give up points this game and not shout the Colonels out, but Louisville has shown in the past, especially under Brohm, that he covers the spread in games Louisville should dominate.
Louisville will easily win this game and will dominate from start to finish. The Cardinals will cover the 38.5 and head into Week 2 1-0.
Prediction: Louisville wins 52-13
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For all the latest on Louisville football's 2025 season, stay tuned.