The Louisville Cardinals (2-0) are looking ahead at a second neutral site game in three outings as they lock horns with the Indiana Hoosiers (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Cardinals are hoping to keep their impeccable 2023 record as they travel to Indianapolis as a 10-point favorite to claim the spoils.
We have seen some interesting line movements toward the Under as the opening 55.5 line dropped to 52 midway through the week. Let’s find out why as we cover everything you need to know ahead of this exciting Week 3 showdown.
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The Cardinals Are Off to Their Best Start in Six Years
Louisville took advantage of the early schedule to pick up two wins in their first two games of the 2023 season, marking the school’s best start since 2017. They have shown great team spirit to survive a stern Georgia Tech challenge in a Week 1 ACC matchup, bouncing back from a 15-point deficit at the half time to win 39-34 in the end.
The Cards did not face any problems routing Murray State in their first home game of the season last week, celebrating their maiden shutout in almost three years in a 56-0 drubbing of an FCS program.
The Racers never challenged Louisville, earning a 28-0 lead at the break. Jack Plummer completed 16 of 22 passes for 247 yards with two INTs, while Jawhar Jordan and Jamari Thrash scored a couple of touchdowns each in a comprehensive victory.
The Hoosiers’ Defense Looks Elite
Indiana has a 1-1 SU record after two weeks, but they arguably left a better impression overall than Louisville going into Saturday’s matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Nobody expected them to do much against No. 3 Ohio State as a 30-point underdog in the season opener. They lost 23-3 on the occasion, but the fact they limited such a strong rival to just 23 points speaks volumes.
We guarantee that Ohio State will not score fewer than 25 points in many games this year, with Emeke Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. leading the offensive unit. Moving forward, the Hoosiers gave up no more than 2.2 yards per play seven days ago in a 41-7 thumping of an in-state FCS rival Indiana State.
Best Pick — Indiana +10 (-110) with DraftKings
We have gone back and forth between spread and totals as the best way to go for this game, but ended up going with the former, and here is why.
Louisville did win both games so far, but they are 1-1 against the spread, following a tight victory over conference rivals Georgia Tech on the opening day. The fact they trailed by 15 at halftime as 7-point favorites in the Week 1 tie can be worrying for the Cardinals fans.
Louisville was not tested last week, but this clash against an in-form Indiana will challenge them. If they want to cover the hefty spread, they will need to improve drastically on both sides of the scrimmage line.
On the other side, the Hoosiers enter this with a 2-0 ATS record and a couple of beautiful defensive showings along the way. Indiana plays at a very slow pace, and it will take some time for Louisville to get back possession whenever Jack Plummer turns the ball over (he already has three interceptions this term).
To sum it all up, Indiana is well worth backing at a +10 spread at DraftKings based on the performances we have seen from these two outfits in the opening weeks.
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Alternative Pick — Under 52 Points (-110) with DraftKings
Indiana is third from the bottom nationally in plays per game (out of 133 teams) this season. Knowing the Cardinals sit 89th in college football in this parameter, we have all the reasons to expect a low-scoring scenario on Saturday in Indianapolis.
The O/U line has already dropped from 55.5 to 52, and we would not be surprised to witness a further fall as we approach the kick-off.
