Coming off their biggest win in the Scott Satterfield era, the Louisville Cardinals will be hard pressed for an encore performance this week when they host the Clemson Tigers. Clemson, which trounced the Cardinals 77-16 last year, opened as a 22.5-point road favorite.
- Clemson Tigers vs Louisville Cardinals (Matchup Report)
- Date/Time: October 19, 12 noon ET
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Clemson -22.5 | O/U 61.0 (Line History)
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
This opener shows some respect for what Satterfield and the Cardinals are doing in Louisville, bouncing back from a disastrous 2-10 season last year. The 22.5-point spread is the second-fewest points the Tigers have laid in their last 10 games.
Clemson News & Notes
Well, so much for the Tigers being part of the “rest of y’all” pursuing Alabama as the top contender for this year’s national championship. A week after narrowly escaping a shocking upset at North Carolina, Clemson obliterated the visiting Florida State Seminoles last week.
The Tigers led 28-0 at halftime and 42-0 before the third quarter was six minutes old, allowing quarterback Trevor Lawrence to take a seat early after throwing for 170 yards and three touchdowns. That may allow Lawrence to recover from a rumored injury (he recently admitted to undergoing an MRI earlier this year), although head coach Dabo Swinney insists nothing is wrong with his star signal-caller.
However, Swinney can’t deny that another of his top offensive weapons is banged up. Star wideout Tee Higgins was pulled at halftime with a hamstring strain, a move Swinney suggested was precautionary.
Louisville News & Notes
The quarterback picture in Louisville is a little muddy these days, but it might not even matter. The top three pivots on the Cardinals depth chart have all had their moments this season, most recently Evan Conley.
The freshman QB completed 12 of 18 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in relief of starter Micale Cunningham last week, adding another 79 yards on the ground to lead the Ville to a 62-59 upset of Wake Forest. With Cunningham and Sportsbook-day starter Jawon Pass both nursing injuries, it’s possible Conley gets the starting nod this week.
Quarterbacks aside, the Cardinals’ biggest issue this week may be avoiding an emotional letdown. Last week’s win over Wake was Louisville’s first victory over a ranked opponent in more than three years, and the Cards’ 4-2 record through six games puts them in excellent position to become bowl-eligible.
Louisville also should be concerned about a defense that has been gashed for more than 1,200 yards the past two weeks, especially facing a Clemson squad that put up 77 on the Cards last year.
Betting Pick: Louisville +22.5
Last week was a high-focus spot for Clemson following the near loss to North Carolina, and I think the Tigers may be a bit flat for this one.
- Clemson is 20-1 SU in its last 21 games (avg. winning margin: 29.9 points).
- Louisville is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games vs ACC opponents.
- The total has gone OVER in Clemson’s last three games vs Louisville (avg. combined score: 79.67).
