College Football Betting Preview
Louisville (3-1) at Connecticut (5-1)
Friday, 8:00 pm Eastern – ESPN

Opening Line: Louisville  -3.5 , Total 61

An interesting matchup in the Big East takes place on Friday night as the high powered offense of the Louisville Cardinals takes on the tough defense of Connecticut.  It was expected that Louisville would be leading the Big East but they come in at 1-1 in the conference while Connecticut is 1-0.

Connecticut has given up just 12 points per game and is ranked sixth in the nation in total defense, holding opponents to an average of 264 yards. "I don't think there is any question that to date this is the best defense that we will have played," said Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe.  This will also be the best offense that Connecticut has seen. Louisville has put up almost 560 yards per game, including 398 yards per game through the air.  The Huskies lost their first game of the season last week to Virginia while Louisville upset Cincinnati.  Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns.  Receiver Harry Douglas had 7 catches for 118 yards.  The key for the Huskies will be to keep pressure on Brohm. "As long as he doesn't have time, he can't be as good as he is," Connecticut cornerback Darius Butler said. "We've got to get him rattled. We've got to get some hits on him and knock him off his game a little bit."

Louisville is 3-0 against the Huskies all-time.  Last season Louisville routed Connecticut 48-17.  It is a different Huskies team this season and one that wants a big win on Friday night. "It wouldn't really say this is a defining game, it's just another challenge, a bigger challenge," UConn defensive tackle Dan Davis said.  Connecticut still has to play South Florida, Cincinnati and West Virginia this season.  Friday’s game will go a long way toward determining which team will stay in the race for the Big East title and which team takes a step back. "To drop three games makes you question yourself and what might you have done better, or might have done wrong," said Louisville wide receiver Pat Carter. "This conference is still open and we can still win it."  Louisville still has games remaining against West Virginia, Rutgers, South Florida and Pittsburgh.

Current Line: Louisville  -3 , Total 60

UConn will be playing its ninth game under the lights at Rentschler Field with the Huskies posting a 5-3 record. The Louisville game marks the fourth year in a row that Connecticut has played in an ESPN or ESPN 2 Friday night game. The Huskies are 1-2 previously in these contests, defeating Syracuse in 2005 but losing to Boston College in 2004 and West Virginia in 2006. UConn is 2-1 in its Big East home openers since joining the league. This is Homecoming weekend at UConn. The Huskies are 2-2 in their previous Homecoming games at Rentschler Field.

Here are the betting stats for Friday’s game.  The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.  The Cardinals are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 conference games. The Cardinals are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. The Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass. The Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite. The Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in October.

The Huskies are 4-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record. The Huskies are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a home underdog. The Huskies are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 home games. The Huskies are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games on grass.

The Under is 4-1 in the Cardinals last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.

The Over is 6-2 in the Cardinals last 8 Friday games. The Over is 14-5 in the Cardinals last 19 games in October. The Over is 5-2 in the Cardinals last 7 games on grass. The Over is 5-2 in the Cardinals last 7 conference games.

The Under is 4-0 in the Huskies last 4 games in October. The Under is 15-7 in the Huskies last 22 games on grass.