Louisville Cardinals at Ole Miss Rebels Betting Preview
Monday night will feature a battle of the ACC versus the SEC as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Ole Miss Rebels. This game will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.
Last season, Louisville finished a disappointing 4-7 overall and really struggled on the road. In fact, they were 0-5 last season away from Cardinal Stadium.
For Ole Miss, they finished 5-5 last season. With Lane Kiffin entering his second year as head coach, he is hoping to maintain an elite offense and improve on a below-average defense from a year ago.
Ole Miss is the favorite in this one. They are -375 to win while the Cardinals’ moneyline sits at +280. The spread features Louisville +10.5 (-115), and the over/under for total points is 75.5.
By The Numbers
Last season, Ole Miss was one of the best offenses in college football. They ranked 14th in scoring, averaging 39.2 points per game. Louisville ranked 53rd overall averaging 29.5 points per game.
Defensively, it was the Cardinals that had the advantage. They ranked 46th in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of just 26.6 points per game. The Rebels ranked 117th allowing 38.3 points per game.
Louisville is 3-7 in their last ten games, but they are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight openers.
Mississippi is 4-1 in their last five games, and in their last 17 games, they are 13-4 when playing as the favorite.
Louisville Hopes For Improved Ball Security From Cunningham
There is no doubt that Cardinals’ quarterback Malik Cunningham is extremely talented. Last season, he threw for 2,617 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for 609 yards on 131 attempts (4.6 average) with another seven touchdowns.
The problem for Cunningham has been his decision-making at times. To go along with his 20 touchdowns, the quarterback also had 12 interceptions and three fumbles.
In fact, ball control was a big issue for Louisville as a whole last year. In all but one of their losses, the Cardinals had at least three turnovers.
On the ground, Louisville will turn to Jalen Mitchell. Last season, Mitchell rushed for 347 yards on 52 attempts (6.7 average) and had two touchdowns.
Ole Miss Hopes Defense Can Catch Up With Offense
Like Louisville, Ole Miss has an impressive offense that is led by a quarterback that can single-handedly take over a game. The big question for Lane Kiffin is whether the defense can improve enough to keep up with the big dogs of the SEC.
Under center for Ole Miss will be Matt Corral. Last season, he threw for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He also rushed for 506 yards and another four scores.
With running back Jerrion Ealy and wide receivers Dontario Drummond and Jeremiah Mingo returning, this offense is lethal.
The difference between good and great for Ole Miss this season is in their defense. The Rebels allowed the 10th-most points last year of any team in college football. This has been a major focal point for Kiffin, but it will be interesting to see how much they can improve in a year’s time.
Take Ole Miss To Win And The Over
As talented as Malik Cunningham is, the Rebels’ offense comes into the season as one of the best in the nation. They will consistently put pressure on the Cardinals, and it will be hard for them to keep up on the scoreboard. For that reason, take Ole Miss to win this one.
Even though they may not be able to keep up with Ole Miss, the Cardinals will score and will probably score a lot. The 75.5 over/under is a substantial number, but do not be shocked if these two teams eclipse that number relatively easily.
