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College Football Odds: SEC Week 13 picks against the spread

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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Nov 21, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Stanley Boom Williams (18) runs the ball against Charlotte 49ers offensive lineman Jarred Barr (50) and defensive back Markevis Davis (31) in the second hafl at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

  • Date: Saturday December 28, 2015
  • Time: 12PM Eastern
  • Location: Lexington, KY
  • TV Channel: SEC Network
  • Spread: Louisville -4
  • Over/Under Total: 53.5

After six dreadful performances – beginning with an overtime victory over Eastern Kentucky followed by five straight SEC losses – the Kentucky Wildcats finally got back into the win column with a 58-10 victory over Charlotte last Saturday.

The dominant victory was a huge step in the right direction for the Wildcats, who leaned heavily on a rushing attack that amassed a season-high 415 rushing yards and averaged 9.4 yards per carry. Such emphasis on the ground game helped to ease quarterback Drew Barker into his first career start. Barker completed 16 of 29 pass attempts for a modest 129 yards without a touchdown or an interception.

Kentucky is now 5-6 and just one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010, which also happens to be the last time UK beat Louisville. With a bowl bid within reach, Barker and running backs Boom Williams (818 rushing yards, 5 TD) and JoJo Kemp (541 rushing yards, 6 TD) face a stiff challenge in a Louisville total defense that ranks No. 17 in the nation, having allowed an average of 326.4 yards per game this season.

However, the 6-5 Cardinals surrendered an uncharacteristic 476 yards last week in a 45-34 loss to Pittsburgh that snapped a four-game winning streak. Louisville used three quarterbacks last week and are expected to play at least two against the Wildcats with Lamar Jackson (1,483 passing yards, 9 TD, 7 INT) and Kyle Bolin (1,109 passing yards, 7 TD, 4 INT) receiving most of the action this season. Jackson also leads the Cards in rushing with 548 yards and seven TDs on the ground.

Louisville has been a better team than Kentucky all season – especially in the second half – but with so much riding on the game for the Wildcats, and coming off a confidence-boosting performance, UK can score the upset over their arch rivals.

Next: Clemson at South Carolina

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