The Louisville Cardinals sent the message loud and clear; NCAA football betting action in the ACC Atlantic division is no longer a two-team racket. The Cardinals will see ACC play again until October, but in the meantime they will pay a visit to the Marshall Thundering Herd at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia on Saturday, September 24th. Here are the odds for fans betting on college football.
Louisville -27 (-110) 74½ (-110) -4500
Marshall +27 (-110) 74½ (-110) +2250
Lamar Jackson and the Cards made an example out of the Florida State Seminoles 63-20 in week 3, and hurled FSU down the rungs of the AP ladder on their own way up to the elite circle. QB Jackson went 13 of 20 for 216 yards with one TD and one interception, which is actually his lowest passing yards in a single game this season. What made his performance Heisman-worthy – and sponge-worth for many of the females in attendance, no doubt – was 146 rushing yards on 17 carries for four touchdowns. Truly the greatest athletic performance by a guy named Lamar since the javelin throw in Revenge of the Nerds. Additionally, Jeremy Smith ran for two TDs, Jaire Alexander returned a punt for a TD, and Brandon Radcliff rushed for 118 yards and a score. Defensively, Louisville kept FSU to 284 yards and forced two turnovers.
Marshall is coming from a 65-38 loss to the Akron Zips. Thundering Herd QB Chase Litton finished 32 of 57 for 413 passing yards and four touchdowns but had three interceptions, the last of which was returned 31 yards for a TD. Marshall led 21-7 after the first quarter, but four turnovers proved to be too costly.
Following their schooling of the Seminoles and consequent climb through the ranks to the 3rd spot, the Cardinals’ NCAA football betting odds have improved by leaps and bounds. Not only are they in the Atlantic Coast Conference title picture, but they might just be National Championship material. And Pensky material. And when one hears the name Marshall, one immediately pictures a tall, flabby, lanky, clumsy, ungainly, awkward dork – like Jason Segel in How I Met Your Mother.
However, the all-time series between these two programs is closer than what their most recent results would have you believe. While the Cards lead the series 16-12 and had an eight-game winning streak between 1965 and 1891, the fact is that Marshall has won the last four encounters.
Moreover, Louisville has not defeated Marshall precisely since 1981. That all seems about to change this Saturday, though. The Herd allowed 379 passing yards, including seven completions of 20 or more yards, had four turnovers and a punt blocked against Akron, which is all music to the ears of the Cardinals – and the ears of NCAA betting fans who put money on the Cardinals – whose offense has show a knack for creating big plays on the ground and through the air. Let’s just hope that Sports Illustrated cover hasn’t gone to Lamar’s head.
