After a thrilling season-opening win, the Louisville Cardinals host the Murray State Racers in Week 2 as we check out our top Murray State vs. Louisville prediction based on the best college football odds.
The Louisville Cardinals went to Atlanta and defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a Week 1 thriller to open the season 1-0. Cardinals quarterback Jack Plummer threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns while running back Jawhar Jordan ran for 96 yards, including 74 on a fourth-quarter touchdown run.
The Murray State Racers experienced no such drama in their Week 1 win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose. They outgained the Blue Hose 484 yards to 196 while possessing the ball for almost 37 minutes. Eric Phoenix and DJ Williams each saw meaningful time under center, while five different rushers cracked 25 yards.
Here is our best Murray State vs. Louisville prediction and college football picks (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Murray State vs. Louisville prediction: Week 2
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After a gutsy Week 1 win, the Cardinals basically get a bye week before they take on the Indiana Hoosiers in Week 3. While the Cardinals may be a bit hung over after such a dramatic victory, it shouldn't take long for them to blow this game wide open.
The hardest part about picking a matchup like this is knowing how long starters stay on the field. It's unlikely Plummer plays much in the second half, and after Jordan ran the ball just seven times in Week 1, it's difficult to imagine the Cardinals overusing him this week with so many meaningful contests on the horizon.
With such a predicament, back the Under. The Cardinals will be a little lackadaisical as they take the Racers for granted, but Murray State isn't good enough to take advantage of this lapse and put points on the board early.
After a low-scoring first half, the Cardinals should start to pour it on in the second session. But they won't score so many points that they push this total Over on their own. It's hard to know whether or not they'll score enough to cover the incredibly large spread of 41 for our college football Week 2 predictions.
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Murray State vs. Louisville best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 54.5 | Under 54 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| -110 | -110 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Only DraftKings and FanDuel released totals for this game as of Wednesday evening. Since DraftKings lists the total at 54.5 instead of 54, it's the place to make our Under wager.
Since this isn't a must-play by any means, you could wait to see what totals the other best sports betting apps release, then play the highest number. Additionally, if any of these best sports betting sites release first-quarter totals, it's definitely worth taking the Under if it's listed at 13.5 or higher.
Murray State vs. Louisville odds
Murray State vs. Louisville odds analysis
The lines for this game were released just hours ago, so there hasn't been much movement. With a number this large, expect to see bettors back the underdog even if there's no reason to believe in them. The Cardinals haven't been a great in recent years, so there's really no reason to trust them as 41-point favorites. This number should drop to 39 or 39.5 before kickoff.
As for the total, it's really hard to say what will happen. The number is at 54.5 right now, so oddsmakers believe the Racers can score at least a few points in this one. It's hard to trust FCS teams against Power 5 opponents, so maybe bettors will support the Under. But then again, the Cardinals' offense should have a field day. Don't expect too much movement with the total.
Murray State vs. Louisville game info
- When: Thursday, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY
- How to watch: ACC Network
- Weather: 65 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 6-mph winds
Murray State-Louisville prediction made 9/6/23 at 4:57 p.m. ET.
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