Prediction, Game Preview, and Betting Lines for Pitt vs. Louisville

Louisville was deep into the ACC title hunt even with losses to SMU and Miami, and then it did the impossible and gacked away the Stanford game last week. Now it’s out of the mix, but there’s still a shot to close with a strong run with a great bowl bid ahead.

Oh yeah, and beating Pitt would matter, and beating Kentucky next week would be even bigger.

Pitt was 7-0 and had everything on the table, but a blowout loss to SMU, a tough game against Virginia, and a brutal finish against Clemson ended all of its hopes for giant things.

But, like Louisville, there’s a chance to close strong. Win this, beat Boston College, take down the bowl, and it’s a ten-win season.

Pitt vs Louisville: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Game Time: 4:00 pm ET
How To Watch: ESPN2
Venue: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
Teams: Louisville (6-4), Pitt (7-3)

Why Pitt Will Win

Louisville doesn’t take the ball away.

The Pitt offense is cranking up the passing game – 350 yards in two of the last three games – the defense hasn’t been all that bad, and the team is closer to being 9-1 than it is to being 5-5.

But the turnovers.

Pitt has given it away twice in four of the last five games including in each of the last three losses. Again, the Cardinal defense isn’t bad, but it has two takeaways in the last six games. But …

Why Louisville Will Win

The Cardinals’ passing game should be great thanks to Tyler Shough, but the running game needs to do better.

There are times when Pitt makes the other team’s passing game work, but when teams can commit to the run, good things tend to happen.

Virginia got sacked too many times, but it still ran 45 times to win. When SMU got it going with the pass, they ran for four scores.

Again, Shough will be fine, but the Cardinals are 4-0 when they run for more than 135 yards.
Five times, Pitt gave up more than 135 yards.

Pitt vs Louisville: Who Will Win?

You can bet that the Cardinals will get better after their loss to Stanford. They will have a balanced attack and a strong enough pass rush to make plays in key situations like they did in Palo Alto.

There will be a lot of points because the Pitt offense will make it easier for the other team to score. Both teams will have times when they are in charge, but UofL will win in the end on Senior Day at home. The Panthers will lose again, which breaks their hearts.