The Louisville Cardinals begin the home portion of their 2023 schedule when they host the Murray State Racers on Thursday. Louisville (1-0) lost to Florida State in its home opener last year but bounced back to win its last five contests at Cardinal Stadium, with two of its final three triumphs coming against ranked opponents. The Cardinals started this campaign by defeating Georgia Tech 39-34, while Murray State (1-0) rolled past Presbyterian 41-10 in its first contest of the year.
Kickoff at Cardinal Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Cardinals are 43.5-point favorites in the latest Louisville vs. Murray State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. Before making any Murray State vs. Louisville picks, be sure to see the college football predictions from SportsLine expert Micah Roberts.
Roberts has worked in the Las Vegas sportsbook industry for more than 20 years, including a 13-year run as Station Casinos' book director. Armed with an elaborate network of sources, Roberts has unmatched info in multiple sports. He's also off to an incredible 7-2 start on against-the-spread college football picks this season, returning almost $500 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, Roberts has set his sights on Louisville vs. Murray State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Roberts' picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Murray State vs. Louisville:
- Louisville vs. Murray State spread: Cardinals -43.5
- Louisville vs. Murray State over/under: 55.5 points
- LOU: The Cardinals have held the Racers to 10 points or fewer in five of their last six meetings
- MSU: The Racers went 0-6 on the road last season
- Louisville vs. Murray State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Louisville can cover
The Cardinals have had very little difficulty against the Racers of late as they enter this matchup with a six-game winning streak and victories in 11 of the last 13 meetings in the all-time series. Each triumph during the current run has been by double digits, with five coming by at least 24 points. Louisville has outscored Murray State 317-60 over the winning streak and 121-31 in the last two contests.
Jack Plummer's debut with the Cardinals got off to a rough start, but the senior quarterback regrouped and led the team to a comeback victory in its season opener. Plummer, who spent last season at California-Berkeley after three at Purdue, completed 10-of-14 pass attempts in the second half for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Louisville scored 26 consecutive points to overcome a 28-13 halftime deficit. Redshirt junior wideout Jamari Thrash, who transferred from Georgia State during the offseason, hauled in both of Plummer's second-half TD passes and finished with 88 yards on seven receptions. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Murray State can cover
After scoring a total of 13 points over their first three games of the 2022 season, the Racers have recorded at least 14 in nine consecutive contests. They produced five touchdowns against Presbyterian last week, including three in the second half to break open the game. Murray State outgained the Blue Hose 484-196 while junior DJ Willams and senior Eric Phoenix each threw for more than 100 yards and a touchdown.
The Racers' ground attack led the way in the season opener, racking up 231 yards on 44 rushes. Sophomore Q'Daryius Jennings ran for a team-high 50 yards and a TD while redshirt freshman Kylan Galbreath and junior Cortezz Jones also scored. Redshirt junior Taylor Shields made just two catches, but both were for touchdowns, making him the first Murray State receiver to have two scoring receptions in a game since Lamartez Brooks accomplished the feat in 2019 against Morehead State. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Louisville vs. Murray State picks
Roberts has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Louisville vs. Murray State, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Louisville vs. Murray State picks, all from the expert who is 7-2 on against-the-spread college football picks this season, and find out.
