:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71761298/1444584702.0.jpg "Louisville-Cincinnati picks: Predictions with spread, total for Fenway Bowl, Keg of Nails, Scott Satterfield Bowl")
The Louisville Cardinals and Cincinnati Bearcats meet in the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park on Saturday in Boston, Massachusetts. The game kicks off at 11:00 a.m. ET, and will air on ESPN.
This should be one of the most anticipated bowl games of the season, with former Cards head coach Scott Satterfield accepting the job at Cincinnati just days after the end of the regular season, meaning his first game with the Bearcats will be against his former team.
The Cardinals (7-5, 4-4 ACC) grabbed some good wins over NC State and Wake Forest, led by star quarterback Malik Cunningham, who finished the season with eight passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns.
The Bearcats (9-3, 6-2 AAC) didn't qualify for the AAC conference this season, taking quite a downward fall from 2021's CFP appearance. Losses to UCF and Tulane put them out of contention, and they had a third loss to Arkansas back in September.
Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Louisville -2
Total: 39
Moneyline: Louisville -120, Cincinnati +100
Opening line: Louisville -1.5
Opening total: 44.5
Key players that have opted-out, injuries for Fenway Bowl
RB Trevion Cooley – Transfer portal
RB Jalen Mitchell – Transfer portal
CB Derrick Edwards – Transfer portal
TE Josh Whyle – NFL Draft
OL Jake Renfro – Transfer portal
CB JQ Hardaway – Transfer portal
QB Luther Richesson – Transfer portal
Weather
40 degrees, Cloudy, 17 MPH wind, 13% chance of rain
The Pick
Cincinnati comes in a much more complete team than Louisville. They underachieved by last year's standards, not by this year's, and with Satterfield joining their side, this will be a very interesting matchup, as he personally knows the opposing team. The Bearcats should be able to win this one.