Clemson vs Louisville 2019 College Football Week 8 Odds & Pick

The Louisville Cardinals have started to find their way back from the basement of the ACC after a 62-59 road win over previously unbeaten Wake Forest a week ago. Scott Satterfield’s offense appears to have caught the magic of the Lamar Jackson years — although the defense appears to have some issues. Despite swiping three turnovers, Louisville still gave up 59 points. The team is resilient, though, as they finished the win with a backup quarterback. Now they prepare to host the Clemson Tigers, who roll in on the momentum of a 21-game winning streak. Last week, they routed the Florida State Seminoles by 31 points. Even more impressive was Trevor Lawrence, who finally put together a complete game. Do you like Louisville for the upset? Or do you like Clemson to put down the hammer? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this ACC showdown.

Clemson vs Louisville 2019 College Football Week 8 Odds & Pick

ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.#ALLIN pic.twitter.com/ZFEyM1aCHG

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) October 15, 2019

When: Saturday, October 19, 2019, 12:00 pm ET Where: Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY TV: ABC Radio: Clemson Tigers Sports Network / UofL Radio Network Live Stream: ESPN+ College Football Week 8 Odds: Clemson -22

Why should you bet on the Tigers?

Malik Cunningham, the Louisville starting quarterback, is still questionable going into Saturday. It is true that his backup, Evan Conley, threw a pair of touchdown passes and led the Cardinals to the win, Clemson’s defense will have looked at film on Conley, and their unit has a lot more speed (and talent) than the Wake Forest unit. It is true that Louisville can score points in droves, moving at video-game speed, but Clemson can score quickly as well. This is a large spread, which means that Clemson might have to score 60 to cover, if Louisville can score this week — but Clemson put up 77 points on them a year ago. Clemson has owned Louisville during the five seasons that the Cardinals have been members of the ACC. Last year, in the death throes of the Second Bobby Petrino Era, Clemson beat Louisville by 61 points. The Clemson defense has totaled 22 sacks and held each opponent under 200 yards of passing, so they should have the answers against the Louisville attack.

Why should you put your money on the Cardinals?

Clemson has already struggled in one ACC game in which they were heavily favored, as they almost fell to North Carolina, a 27.5-point underdog in their matchup. In previous years, the Tigers have hit speed bumps in the form of Pittsburgh (at home) and Syracuse (on the road, and almost again at home last year). So it seems like, every now and then, Clemson loses focus against an opponent who, at least on paper, is a lot weaker. Louisville is a team that plays with confidence and with a high level of speed. Their defense is skilled at the takeaway (they had three against Wake Forest), but they also are highly vulnerable — Wake Forest had five touchdowns through the air a week ago. The Cardinals keep responding, though, no matter how many points they give up, and a team that keeps coming with that level grit is hard to beat by 22 points.

Final Score Prediction

Clemson seems to have learned their lesson from that scare against North Carolina, as we saw in their 45-14 win over Florida State this past weekend. They stepped on the gas early, scoring two touchdowns in their first three drives, burying the Seminoles before they had a chance to get started. If Clemson can do the same thing in a Louisville atmosphere that is likely to be loud and enthusiastic, at least at first, then they should roll to a win and cover. I predict a final score of Clemson 52, Louisville 24.