#15 Louisville vs. USC Prediction, Picks & Betting Odds for Today, 12/27
Today’s Holiday Bowl features two teams that had about as opposite of seasons as you could expect. The Louisville Cardinals were projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC, but made the title game, while the USC Trojans finished with five losses despite having the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in QB Caleb Williams.
We’ll touch on Williams’ status as we transition into our Louisville vs. USC prediction. Along with our Holiday Bowl prediction will be the full details regarding a guaranteed DraftKings Sportsbook promo you won’t want to miss out on.
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LOUISVILLE VS. USC PREDICTION: Cardinals -7.5 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Is Caleb Williams Playing Today?
Before we dive into our Louisville vs. USC prediction, we know that question on everyone’s mind: is Caleb Williams playing today? The 2022 Heisman winner decided to forego this bowl game in preparation for the NFL Draft.
That is obviously extremely important to keep in mind when making any Louisville vs. USC picks and is a primary factor in why our Louisville vs. USC prediction is focused on the Cardinals.
Louisville vs. USC Prediction for Today's College Football Game: 2023 Holiday Bowl
Oddsmakers didn’t do us any favors when it comes to the Louisville vs. USC spread, as it sits just above that key number of seven. So, there was certainly consideration to attack the total, or over/under, in what should be a high-scoring game at first glance.
We say that as the Trojans defense was a hot topic all season due to just how poorly they were playing. They haven’t allowed fewer than 34 points since September 23, including the opposition scoring 52, 49 and 48 points in that time span. However, no Caleb Williams also means we don’t trust the USC offense.
Those two factors add up to what we expect to be a convincing win for the Cardinals, making them the target of our Holiday Bowl prediction.
Louisville vs. USC Picks & Best Bets Featuring Cardinals -7.5
One of the other main factors that caused us to stay away from the total and focus on the Louisville vs. USC spread was the Cardinals stout defense. Not only do we not trust a Caleb Williams-less Trojans offense, but Louisville was led by their defense this season.
They earned a spot in the ACC Championship game because of it, and if not for a let-down in their season finale, they would have finished the season allowing fewer than 20 points per game. Even still, 20.2/game is still quite impressive, and after seeing the numbers we mentioned allowed by USC, you can understand our Louisville vs. USC prediction.
The Cardinals may have fallen in that ACC Championship Game, but they still allowed just 16 points to the Florida State Seminoles, who many believe should be a College Football Playoff team. If all that hasn’t been enough yet, let’s take a look at a common opponent.
Both Louisville and USC played the #16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish this year. The Cardinals cruised to a 33-20 victory, while the Trojans were handled with ease, 48-20. That stark difference only further supports our Louisville vs. USC prediction on the Cardinals -7.5 (-108 at DraftKings Sportsbook).
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Louisville vs. USC Betting Odds, Lines & Spreads at DraftKings
Based on the Louisville vs. USC odds at DraftKings Sportsbook below, a $108 bet on our Louisville vs. USC prediction profits $100 as long as the Cardinals win by at least eight points.
Point Spread:
- Louisville Cardinals -7.5 (-108) vs. USC Trojans +7.5 (-112)
Money Line:
- Louisville Cardinals (-298) vs. USC Trojans (+240)
Total (over/under):
- Over 58.5 (-110) vs. Under 58.5 (-110)
Where is the Holiday Bowl?
If there is one thing going in the favor of the Trojans, it’s the location of the Holiday Bowl, which is in San Diego, CA. However, both Los Angeles - where USC resides - and San Diego are very well known for their lack of passionate fan bases from an attendance standpoint.
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