Louisville Opens as Seven-Point Home Favorite vs. Kentucky

The Cardinals host the Wildcats in their final game of the 2023 regular season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is returning home for their regular season finale and first rivalry showdown against Kentucky under head coach Jeff Brohm, and oddsmakers are liking them to end the regular season on a high note.

According to Circa Sports, the No. 9/10 Cardinals have opened up as a -7.0 point favorite over the visiting Wildcats. The over/under has been set at 51.5.

Like the previous week against Virginia, the Cardinals was able to finish strong against Miami and pull out a come-from-behind victory to punch their ticket to the ACC Championship Game. Louisville out-scored the Canes 15-3 in the fourth quarter, with backup QB Evan Conley scoring on a five-yard wildcat keeper, starting QB Jack Plummer connecting with WR Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown, then the defense holding firm with a goal line stand to capture a 38-31 victory.

As for the Wildcats, they have not looked like the same team since the calendar flipped to the month of October. Kentucky won their first five games of the season including a victory over then-No. 22 ranked Florida, but have lost five of their last six games. Most recently, they were dealt a narrow defeat at the hands of South Carolina, falling 17-14 in the Palmetto State.

Louisville is 6-5 against-the-spread so far this season, whereas Kentucky is 5-6. The Cardinals are 5-1 ATS at home despite being 6-0 straight up, while the Wildcats are 2-2 both ATS and straight up on the road.

Louisville was able to cover vs. Murray State (-43.5), vs. Boston College (-14.0) vs. Notre Dame (+6.5), vs. Duke (-5.0), vs. Virginia Tech (-9.5) and at Miami (+1.0); but failed to do so vs. Georgia Tech (-7.0), vs. Indiana (-10.0) at NC State (-3.5) at Pitt (-7.0) and vs. Virginia (-20.0).

Kentucky covered vs. Ball State (-25.5), vs. Akron (-25.5), at Vanderbilt (-13.0), vs. Florida (-1.5) and at Mississippi State (-4.5); but could not do so vs. Eastern Kentucky (-34.5), at Georgia (+15.0), vs. Missouri (-1.5), vs. Tennessee (+4.0), vs. Alabama (+11.5) and at South Carolina (+2.0).

Kickoff vs. Kentucky is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 25 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Maurice Turner: Jordan Prather - USA TODAY Sports)

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