Can ACC Keep up the Hype? Vegas ACC Predictions for Week 3 Here.
Saturday Blitz Vegas ACC Predictions Week 3
Game of the Week
No. 21 Louisville Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers
Line: Louisville by 6.5
This is a game that would appear to be a blowout, but both teams have been better than expected so far. With one team trying, and so far succeeding, to prove that it can be elite Power Five team playing on the road against a very experienced team trying to get back to a bowl game, this could be a very exciting game.
The Louisville Cardinals have proven they’re immediately ready to win with Bobby Petrino, and the high-powered balanced offense has simply had its way with team. However, Will Gardner needs to be more consistent at quarterback and limit some of his mistakes, and the defense still has some issues. For as good as it looked in the opener, don’t forget that it went against a team that couldn’t find a quarterback. The Cardinals rush defense is a big issue that they’ll need to worry about, so to make sure they don’t get caught napping the Petrino offense needs to score and score quickly. Force Virginia into throwing the ball, and this should be an easy game for Louisville. Otherwise, things can get interesting.
Virginia, meanwhile, has shown itself through two games to have a surprisingly decent defense and a solid running game. The defense struggled at times against Richmond last week but regrouped and had pretty good control of the game, and it has played bend-but-don’t-break in the best way possible through two games. Mike London’s team is trying to get back to 6 wins, and this game is a great chance for an upset. If the Cavaliers can force Gardner to make a few mistakes and take care of the football, then this could become a very interesting game and an upset special early Saturday afternoon. But the offense will have to do more than it has done, and the defense has got to be more consistent.
Prediction
Virginia will give Louisville a game the same way they gave it to UCLA, for a half. The Cavaliers won’t be able to keep up with Petrino’s offense, and Gardner appears to be getting better, so this will turn into a pretty easy win for Louisville by the end of the second half. Virginia is still a bowl-quality team, but it won’t show on Saturday.
Louisville: 38 Virginia: 21