Memphis-Louisville
Time: NOON, ET – Nov 23, 2013
Spread: LOU -23
O/U: 43
Odds courtesy of Bovada
The No. 21 Louisville Cardinals are 9-1 on the season but its likely that the loss to UCF will cost the team its chance at an American Athletic Conference championship. To keep those hopes alive, it must prevail at home over Memphis, a team college football oddsmakers find to be 23-point underdogs to Louisville.
Memphis’ biggest problem this season has been an inability to find the end zone. The team generates 325.5 yards per game but scores just 20 points per contest, and while the defense has been good (22nd best in the nation allowing just 20.6 points per game), it hasn’t been enough to level out to much more than a 3-6 record. The Tigers have been victorious in consecutive weeks over UT Martin and South Florida, but lost to four consecutive conference opponents prior to that.
Paxton Lynch has been accurate enough (59.6 percent) and thrown for 1,581 yards, but he’s thrown more interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (six) and he’s throwing a lot of short passes (6.08 yards per completion). Marquis Warford has been good in the backfield, as has Brandon Haynes, but Warford has scored just one TD on the year and Haynes has only five.
Louisville is ranked 15th in the nation in pass yardage per game (316 per game) and Teddy Bridgewater has been sensational. The touted NFL prospect has thrown for 3,048 yards with a 70.9 percent completion ratio and he has 24 TDs with just three interceptions on the year.
Bridgewater has a QB rating of 177.4, and the Cardinals are getting solid backfield production from Senorise Perry and Dominique Brown. The loss to UCF may thwart a conference title, but it was a very good Louisville team this year and the Cardinals will have a chance to showcase their squad at a bowl.
Memphis Trends: UNDER 4-0 in last 4 road games; 4-0 ATS in last 4 after allowing less than 20 points in previous game; UNDER 11-1 in last 12 following SU win.
Louisville Trends: 0-5 ATS in last 5 after allowing less than 20 points in previous game; UNDER 4-0 in last 4 after allowing less than 170 yards passing in previous game; 0-5 ATS in last 5 following SU Win.
Head-to-head: OVER 4-1 in last 5 meetings.
Check out our paid pick plans for the remainder of the 2013-14 NCAA football season!