College Football Week 2 Predictions: Louisville vs. North Carolina 9/9/17
Will Lamar Jackson lead Louisville to a rout over North Carolina on Saturday?
The Matchup: Louisville (1-0) at North Carolina (0-1), 12:00PM ET
Despite not covering last week as a heavy favorite versus Purdue, the Cardinals enter today’s game as another heavy favorite. According to oddsmakers, Louisville is laying 9.5 points versus North Carolina this afternoon. The total, meanwhile, sits at 63 points.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals put together an ugly performance in their Week 1 victory over the Boilermakers. Their performance included 16 penalties, including 10 false starts. UL also put the ball on the ground three times.
That said, the Cardinals did come through in key situations defensively. They returned an interception for a touchdown, plus had two other picks that were created by pressure from their front seven. If they cut down on the mistakes offensively, today’s game should go a lot smoother.
North Carolina Tar Heels
UNC is coming off a 35-30 loss against California last week. In that game, the Tar Heels had defensive breakdowns that plagued them throughout. From miscommunication to poor tackling, North Carolina allowed 6.42 yards per play against the Golden Bears. That was one of the worst marks in the nation in Week 1.
Despite those defensive issues, UNC remains confident. Outspoken middle linebacker Andre Smith said earlier this week that he didn’t intend for today to become the Lamar Jackson show.” Smith added, “he’s not going to beat us.”
Our Prediction
I don’t feel comfortable laying 9.5 points with a team playing on the road in a conference matchup (especially one that nearly lost to a weak Big Ten team in its opener). But I’m betting the team here, not the number.
UNC’s strength was supposed to be its defense but Cal took it too the Tar Heels a week ago. Lamar Jackson made it a habit last year to destroy teams that allowed over 6.0 yards per play. Even if UNC rebounds somewhat defensively, it might not be enough against the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
The Tar Heels are also inexperienced on offense, mainly at quarterback and running back. If they don’t play well defensively, this game should get out of hand in a hurry.
College Football Week 2 Prediction: Louisville Cardinals -9.5