Louisville Cardinals (1-1) vs UCF Knights (2-0)
Game Info: Friday, September 17, 2021 at 7:30 pm (Cardinal Stadium)
Betting Odds: Louisville Cardinals +7.5 -- Over/Under: 64.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The UCF Knights will travel to Cardinal Stadium to take on the Louisville Cardinals this Friday night in College Football action.
The UCF Knights improved to 2-0 on the season after defeating the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 63-14, this past Saturday. UCF dominated Bethune-Cookman on both ends of the field throughout the game and had no trouble securing the victory after 28 unanswered points gave UCF a 35-7 lead going into halftime. UCF outgained Bethune-Cookman by a 671-279 margin while also winning the turnover battle by a 1-0 margin. Leading the way for the for the Knights was RB Isaiah Bowser who ad 69 rushing yards & 4 TD’s on 12 carries.
On the season, UCF is averaging 49.5 ppg on 622.0 total yards per game (349.5 passing yds/g; 272.5 rushing yds/g). Offensively, UCF has been led by QB Dillon Gabriel who has completed 65.8% of his passes for 630 yards, 6 TD, & 2 INT. Gabriel is also the 2nd leading rusher for the Knights as he had 107 yards & 1 TD on 14 carries. The top receiving threats for the Knights have been Jaylon Robinson (8 rec, 187 yards, TD), Ryan O’Keefe (11 rec, 155 yards), & Brandon Johnson (12 rec, 128 yards, 2 TD). Leading the way for the Knights backfield has been Isaiah Bowser who had 231 rushing yards & 5 TD on 45 carries.
Defensively, UCF is allowing their opponents to average 22.5 ppg on 281.0 total yards per game (259.0 passing yds/g; 22.0 rushing yds/g).
The Louisville Cardinals improved to 1-1 on the season after defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 30-3, this past Saturday. Louisville led by a 20-3 margin at halftime and was able to pull away after a 30-yard TD reception by Justin Marshall gave the Cardinals a 27-3 lead with 5:32 left in the 3rd quarter. Louisville outgained Eastern Kentucky by a 442-235 margin while also winning the turnover battle by a 3-1 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Cardinals was QB Malik Cunningham who completed 15 of 23 passes for 278 yards & 1 TD while also rushing for 2 TD’s.
On the season, Louisville is averaging 27.0 ppg on 398.5 total yards per game (242.0 passing yds/g; 156.5 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Louisville has been led by QB Malik Cunningham who has completed 61.7% of his passes for 469 yards, 2 TD & 1 INT while also rushing for 108 yards & 4 TD’s. The top receiving threats for the Cardinals have been Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (6 rec, 169 yards), Josh Johnson (8 rec, 81 yards), Marshon Ford (5 rec, 56 yards), & Justin Marshall (3 rec, 49 yards, TD). Leading the way for the Cardinals backfield has been Jalen Mitchell who had 139 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Defensively, Louisville is allowing their opponents to average 23.0 ppg on 402.0 total yards per game (265.0 passing yds/g; 137.0 rushing yds/g).
The Knights are 39-16 ATS in their last 55 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game, however, are just 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games as a favorite. The Cardinals are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games, however, just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
I expect Louisville to play better than the team we saw get thoroughly outplayed against Ole Miss earlier this season, however, I just don’t see the Cardinals defense being able to slow down Dillon Gabriel and the Knights offense in this one. UCF isn’t as strong a rushing defense as their stats are showing at this point and Louisville will have some success on the ground in this one, however, as Louisville just doesn’t have the weapons that they once had at the impact positions, I think UCF pulls away late in this one and covers this spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick UCF Knights -7.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05