The Louisville Cardinals are ranked 25th in the college playoff rankings, and they are dangerous dog, having covered ten of their last 11 in that role. America’s Bookie customers will see if they can do anything to upset the apple cart of the Florida State Seminoles, who are second -ranked, undefeated, and defending their national championship. College football betting gets underway at 7:30 PM ET at Papa John’s Stadium, and Bobby Petrino’s team seems to be close to full strength on offense, as quarterback Will Gardner is back with the help of wide receiver Davante Parker.
Louisville was better known for its defense that its offense last season, and it has continued into the 2014 campaign. This team ranks first in the country in total defense, fourth in scoring defense, in his second-best in the nation against opponents on third down. They are also opportunistic, having intercepted 15 passes on the season. We know about the capabilities of Florida State, but the Seminoles have be considered just a little bit fortunate to have gotten out of their home game against Notre Dame alive. They have covered only one of their seven games thus far, although it is arguable as to whether all of the controversy surrounding quarterback Jameis Winston has really served as a distraction.
One thing that America’s Bookie customers may want to take into account here is the fact that there is a tremendous upside for Louisville if it can win on Thursday night, because one of the areas where they recruit heavily is the state of Florida, and a win against the defending national champions in the showcase game would be a real boost to those recruiting efforts. The Cardinals are 3.5-point underdog in the college football betting odds.
In the other Thursday game, red-hot Georgia Southern lays 26 points at home to the Trojans of Troy in a Sun Belt conference matchup, also beginning at 7:30 PM ET. Georgia Southern lost by one point to North Carolina State and four points to Georgia Tech. Those are the only blemishes on the record of this team that is a newcomer to Division I after many years of great success at Division I-AA. They can explode offensively; witness the 83 points they put on the board against Savannah State. And they’ve scored 116 points in their last two games. Georgia Southern has covered six of their eight games, and as a running team they may find Troy very much to their liking, as the Trojans have allowed 737 rushing yards in their last two games.
Friday’s action at America’s Bookie is highlighted by Cincinnati’s visit to Tulane (8 PM ET), in which the Bearcats are four-point favorites in the football odds on the road. Cincy has been able to move the ball on the ground with great efficiency the last two games, with 513 rushing yards. Quarterback Gunner Kiel has been dealing with rib injuries, but he is listed as probable, and Munchie Legaux, who knows the system very well, came in last week and completed 14 of 15 passes against South Florida. Tulane “exploded” for 31 points against Tulsa in their opening game, but since then they have scored a grand total of 65 points in five contests against Division I opponents.
And Tulsa takes a visit to Memphis in a game starting at 8 PM ET, in which Memphis is a 24-point favorite. The man to watch for the Tigers is Paxton Lynch, a quarterback who has hit 65% of his passes. Meanwhile, The Golden Hurricane has registered only four interceptions the entire year. Memphis has also been pretty profitable against the college football betting odds (5-1-1 ATS).
