HomeRight ArrowNCAAF

College Football Picks, Predictions: Our Expert Week 13 Early Bet for Louisville vs SMU

College Football Picks, Predictions: Our Expert Week 13 Early Bet for Louisville vs SMU article feature image
1 min read
Credit:

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images. Pictured: SMU RB TJ Harden.

College football Week 13 is here, which means it's time to take a look at the odds board and see what kind of value we can find before lines move this week.

This week, Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson is turning his attention to the ACC, where the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals will take on the SMU Mustangs.

Let's dive into Wilson's college football picks and NCAAF predictions for Louisville vs. SMU in Week 13 below.


Louisville vs SMU Odds

Louisville Logo
Saturday, Nov. 22
12 p.m. ET
ESPN2
SMU Logo
Louisville Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
+3
-110
52.5
-110o / -110u
+125
SMU Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
-3
-110
52.5
-110o / -110u
-150
Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAF odds here.
bet365 Logo

One of the best situational spots for Week 13 comes in the ACC, where SMU will have some extra rest off a bye week.

Louisville not only has to travel to Texas after back-to-back losses, but it must regroup after a heartbreaking 20-19 defeat at the hands of Clemson before a rivalry game against Kentucky in Week 14.

On the other side, SMU is live to make the ACC Championship.

The Mustangs must win their final two games against Louisville and Cal, while also needing help from the other ACC contenders to make a trip to Charlotte for the conference title game.

SMU has won five of its last six games, picking up a victory in every conference game at home this season.

The defense has been the strong point for the Mustangs, ranking top-15 in Havoc, tackling and Finishing Drives allowed.

Meanwhile, Louisville has struggled on offense throughout the season, as the offensive line sits outside the top 100 in Line Yards and Stuff Rate.

Stuff Rate — the measurement of owning the line of scrimmage — has been a disaster for the Cardinals, who own a rank of 125th out of all FBS teams.

Offensively, SMU's rushing attack will put it in scoring position thanks to a Louisville defense that gives up plenty of explosives on the ground. Mustang running backs TJ Harden and Chris Johnson Jr. have racked up 19 explosives on the season.

Look for a well-rested SMU team to push toward another ACC Championship appearance, as Louisville continues to struggle to finish games.

Pick: SMU -3.5 or Better

Playbook
Author Profile
About the Author

Collin is a senior writer for the Action Network, but serves in various roles behind the scenes as well. As someone who specializes in data visualization of probabilities, power ratings, and head-to-head matchups, Collin’s work within the college football space powers the Action Network’s PRO projections throughout the college football season, and has done so since the birth of the app in 2017. Collin contributes similarly to the college basketball vertical, and his passion for predictive analytics have led him to become a key force in finding betting edges in more niche markets such as professional wrestling and entertainment awards.

This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.