Louisville vs. Washington Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Sun Bowl

Reed Wallach | 4 Hours Ago

Nov 30, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) throws a pass during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Louisville and Washington meet in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Neither the Cardinals or Huskies could meet the success of 2023 in 2024 but each reached bowl eligibility this season and will meet in a near coin flip matchup in this bowl game.

Louisville has lost a handful of key contributors to the transfer portal, which has led to some early betting action on the underdog Huskies. We have you updated below with the latest for this one with a best bet.

Louisville vs. Washington Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

Louisville: -2.5 (-114)
Washington: +2.5 (-106)

Moneyline

Louisville: -140
Washington: +116

Total: 49.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Louisville vs. Washington How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, December 31st
Game Time: 2:00 PM EST
Venue: Sun Bowl
How to Watch (TV): CBS
Louisville Record: 8-4
Washington Record: 6-6

Louisville vs. Washington Key Players to Watch

Louisville

Harrison Bailey: Tyler Shough opted out of this game, so Bailey will likely draw the start in this one under center. The senior transfer has very limited action in his career and will face a Washington defense that was elite against the pass this season. I expect we see the Cards implement a run-first approach in hopes of easing Bailey into his first start of the season.

Washington

Demond Williams Jr.: The four star recruit will start the Sun Bowl after playing a ton during the season in conjunction with veteran Will Rogers. While this season was a down year for the Huskies, the team will look to showcase its future with Williams under center in the bowl game. Overall, Williams has passed for 570 yards on 73 attempts while adding 234 yards on 63 rushes.

Louisville vs. Washington Prediction and Pick

The two key opt-outs for this one is Shough and the team’s top wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks, who cleared 1,000 yards this season.

The Cardinals could also be down a few other key players like pass rusher Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley, who haven’t announced their intentions yet.

Without Shough, the Cardinals offense falls off dramatically without any real experience behind him at quarterback.

With that in mind, I’m interested in grabbing the points with Washington, who has a high ceiling player in Williams, who will start this game and can showcase why he’s the man of the future for head coach Jedd Fisch. Overall, this Washington offense is 41st in EPA/Play and the drop-off from Rogers to Williams is negligible.

The dual-threat Williams can test the Louisville secondary that checks in outside the top 90 nationally in explosive pass play allowed as the Huskies have a far cleaner path to points.

I don’t think the betting market is fully realizing the drop-off from Shough to Bailey (or any other green options in the Cards quarterback room) and I think Washington should be favored with the more proven roster.

PICK: Washington +2.5