Put on your shorts for Tuesday’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, set for Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Despite the late December date, the weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a high in the upper 70s, a far cry from some other late December days in North Texas. The Air Force Academy (9-3) comes in as a slight underdog to the Louisville Cardinals (6-6), even though Louisville had to win two of three down the stretch just to gain bowl eligibility. Air Force has won its last two bowl games under head coach Troy Calhoun; Louisville won the Music City Bowl in 2019 in its only other bowl berth for head coach Scott Satterfield. Air Force brings its troublesome triple option offense to Texas to take on one of the middle-tier teams from the ACC.
Read on to check out our college football betting thoughts on this matchup.
NCAAF Preview: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Preview (Tuesday, December 28)
Air Force vs Louisville
When: Tuesday, December 28, 2021, 3:15 pm ET
Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas
TV: ESPN
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Hulu
NCAAF Odds: Air Force +1.5 / O/U 55 // Air Force +100 / Louisville -120
Why should you bet on the Falcons?
Using that triple option, Air Force ran for 342 yards per game, tops in the nation by more than 60 yards. Tailback Brad Roberts led the way with 1,279 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, good for first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. The team didn’t live by Roberts alone, though, as four Falcons rushed for 400 yards or more this year. Quarterback Haaziq Daniels ran for 705 yards and put up 14 combined touchdowns (passing and rushing), although when he has to throw the ball, things often go awry, as he only completed 46 percent of his passes on the season.
DeAndre Hughes ran for 471 yards – and averaged 8.6 yards per carry, as he would often come into the game and break a big play. Emmanuel Michel is the fullback; despite lacking the traditional size for a Division I fullback, he has shown that he can gain yards in short yardage and goal-line situations. The Louisville defense ranked 92nd in the nation, permitting 4.5 yards per rush. Malik Clark and YaYa Diaby are their big stars up front, and Yasir Abdullah crashes the line from his linebacker position. Safeties Kenderick Duncan Jr and Qwynnterrio Cole each posted more than 75 total tackles this season, but Louisville permitted at least 28 points in each of their six losses.
Why should you put your money on the Cardinals?
Louisville also brings a potent offense, but it is a more typical college football attack, as quarterback Malik Cunningham is a dual-threat signal caller – and probably the best that the Falcons have faced this season. Cunningham is a better runner than he is a passer, but his 18:6 TD:INT ratio was more than respectable. He did run for 968 yards and 19 touchdowns, tops in the ACC, but Jalen Mitchell can also pound the ball, running for 722 yards and five scores. Wide receiver Jordan Watkins will not play, as he has already gone through the transfer portal, but tight end Marshon Ford led the Cardinals with 530 yards on 47 receptions.
Air Force has a defense that could stand up to the challenge that Louisville presents, though. Linebacker Vince Sanford led the team with 56 tackles, 9 ½ sacks and four forced fumbles, gaining second-team all-MWC honors. Defensive tackle Jordan Jackson put up seven sacks; between the two of them, they will have their hands full keeping an eye on Cunningham. Safeties Tre Bugg III and Corvan Taylor excelled at lowering the boom on runners as well.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
This is likely to be a game in which the team that has the ball last will win. However, Louisville has not had to play a triple-option team, and the frustration of having so much time run off the clock while the other team has the ball can cause teams to press when they do get a chance – and make mistakes. I’m going with the value here, with a final score of Air Force 27, Louisville 24.
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Preview : Air Force vs Louisville Bet the Game Today
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