The Louisville Cardinals have a bunch of key returning starters back in the fold and are expected to get off to a quick start in Week 1 against the Charlotte 49ers. They are ranked No. 19 in the nation to begin the year and would love to start climbing up in the polls. Charlotte lost 10 straight games to end last season and the hopes aren’t much higher this year. This seems like a lopsided matchup in terms of talent, and the betting spread certainly reflects it. Louisville is a huge favorite to start quickly and blow out the 49ers in NCAA football wagering.
This contest in Week 1 of the regular season will go down Thursday, September 1, 2016, at 7 p.m. ET at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Charlotte +40
Louisville -40
Over/Under 60.5
Odds Analysis
High spreads are much more common in NCAA football compared to the NFL, but this one is still notable. The Cardinals are clearly the much more talented team but it’s hard to beat any opponent by 40 points. Once Louisville gets up by four or five touchdowns it will step off the gas, and it remains to be seen if the backups can add enough points to cover. Even with the huge spread, more bettors are backing Louisville to cover.
Matchup to Watch
Louisville returns quarterback Lamar Jackson, a dual-threat who Charlotte must aim to contain. Jackson was 135-for-247 passing for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns with eight interceptions, so the 49ers would be well served to make him throw. Jackson had 163 carries for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging nearly six yards per carry. Charlotte gave up 30 points or more in seven of its final eight games and will have a tough time slowing down Jackson. He set a Music City Bowl record by rushing for 226 yards at the end of last season and is only a true sophomore this year. He should continue to ascend and notable progress is expected.
Key Stat
19. Louisville returns 10 starters on offense and nine on defense, a healthy amount out of 22 possible spots. The Cardinals went 8-5 a year ago and won the Music City Bowl so they head into this season with momentum. The team will have some tough games coming up against top-5 foes Florida State and Clemson coming up within a few weeks, but so much returning experience should help Louisville get off to a fast start.
Free ATS Pick
Charlotte won its first two games a season ago over Georgia State and Presbyterian, but as the competition increased the team faltered. The 49ers lost a pair of games by a field goal but the majority of them were blowouts. The team brings in quarterback Kevin Olsen as a transfer and hopes he can kickstart a moribund offense. Charlotte has only been playing football for a half-decade and has a ways to go to become competitive. Maybe the 49ers can win a game or two on Conference USA play this season, but a road game against a ranked team will be almost impossible to win.
Louisville averaged 28.7 points per game last season and the offense is expected to be better as Jackson heads into another season and returns so many of his main weapons. The defense was 40th nationally in 2015 but should get off to a much better start this time around. There’s no question which team wins this game, but the question will be if Louisville can cover.
Charlotte has given up 70 points in a game a season ago so it’s possible the Cardinals cruise past the large 40-point spread, but the more likely scenario is a point total around 50 for them. Since this is the first game of the season, Louisville may have some early-game hiccups, which could allow Charlotte to cover the spread and keep the point total under 60.5 in NCAA football wagering.
College Football Odds: Louisville 48, Charlotte 10
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
