On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks will visit the Louisville Cardinals at 3:30 PM ET. The Cardinals are heavy favorites at home, with DraftKings Sportsbook making them 28.5-point favorites. The total for the game is set at 58. Here, we break down Jacksonville State vs Louisville and make our best college football picks for that matchup.
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Jacksonville State Needs Defensive Improvement Quickly
In Week 1, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks lost at home to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers by a score of 55-27. Coastal Carolina was starting their first season in a long time without Grayson McCall as their starting quarterback after McCall transferred to NC State. But the Jacksonville State defense didn’t make things tough on them at all, which could be a problem for the Gamecocks against Louisville.
Jacksonville State didn’t get much clarity when it comes to their quarterback situation last week against the Chanticleers. Both of their quarterbacks completed around half of their passes, with Tyler Huff throwing for more yards than Logan Smothers, but Huff also throwing two picks. A better showing from either quarterback or both quarterbacks is a must for Jacksonville State to have a shot here.
Louisville Hoping For Another Non-Conference Blowout
The Louisville Cardinals crushed the Austin Peay out of the FCS in Week 1, pitching a 62-0 shutout in that contest. Cardinals quarterback Tyler Shough went 18/24 passing for 232 yards and four touchdowns. While the Cardinals are facing a team that should be tougher in theory than an FCS opponent, Louisville is expected to have another huge game offensively here.
Last week, Louisville held Austin Peay to just 106 yards of total offense. Against a Jacksonville State team that really struggled to move the ball through the air last week, the Cardinals defense will be expected to perform at a high level once again in this matchup.
Jacksonville State vs Louisville Best Bet
Our best bet for this Jacksonville State vs Louisville clash is for Louisville to cover the spread as a huge home favorite. The Cardinals should be better on both sides of the ball by a wide margin here. With Jacksonville State losing by four scores to Coastal Carolina this week, we expect something similar or worse for the Gamecocks this Saturday.
