The Virginia Cavaliers will be NCAA football betting underdogs when they receive a visit they will be glad only comes once a year; Lamar Jackson and the Louisville Cardinals. The online sportsbook odds for this game on Saturday, October 29th at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville stand thus:
Louisville -31 (-110) 69 (-110) -8100
Virginia +31 (-110) 69 (-110) +3400
The Cardinals (6-1) got over a less-than-stellar effort against the Duke Blue Devils with a 54-13 rout of the NC State Wolfpack last Saturday. Starting QB Lamar Jackson, who was “mad at myself from the Duke game,” set a new school single-season record with four first-half touchdowns – three passing and one running. Jackson went 20 of 34 for 355 yards. Additionally, he ran for 76 yards on 17 carries. And running back Jeremy Smith rushed for 51 yards on 14 carries for a couple of scores. Kicker Blanton Creque set another record with 18 points in a single game courtesy of four field goals and six conversions. On defense, the Cards had three picks that resulted in 17 points. Thanks to the win, Louisville made it back to the top 5.
The Cavaliers (2-5) have lost two straight games, the latest being a 14-35 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels this past Saturday. Virginia was kept to 39 yards in the third quarter and were behind 28-7 at that point. Dating back to the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Cavaliers have had offensive issues for three halves in a row. Virginian would have to win four of their last five games – a streak that, at least according to NCAA football betting odds, is not likely to start against the Cards – if they want to appear in a bowl game for the first time since 2011.
Louisiana’s offense got back on track after Duke, and is overall arguably second only to Clemson and Deshaun Watson in the ACC. Jackson has completed 134 of 230 passes for 2131 yards with 18 TDs, and has run for 908 yards on 130 carries for another 16 scores. Dual-threat seldom gets more threatening. Meanwhile, James Quick has 32 receptions for 523 yards and four touchdowns. This numbers could prove to be simply too much to bear for the Cavs’ defense, indicating that the Cards will not only win straight up, but also cover the NCAA football betting cover.
Louisiana is 3-0-1 against the spread in their last four games after an ATS win, and 4-1-1 against the spread in their previous six games after a straight-up win. The Cards are also 6-2-1 against the spread in their past nine games overall, and 28-12-1 against the spread in their last 41 way games. Conversely, the Cavaliers are 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games after a straight-up loss, and 7-2 against the spread in their previous nine ACC games. Additionally, Virginia is 6-2 ATS against a team with a winning record, and 9-3-1 against the spread in their previous 13 games overall.