Direct TV bowl prediction

Louisville vs USC Directv Holiday Bowl Prediction 12/27

The Louisville Cardinals (10-3) face off against the USC Trojans (7-5) on Wednesday, December 27th. This game will be played at Petco Park in San Diego and televised on FOX. Both Louisville and USC will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Louisville Cardinals vs USC Trojans

The Louisville Cardinals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In Louisville’s most recent loss to Florida State, the Cardinals faced a -7-point deficit going into the 4th and were unable to mount a comeback effort, falling 16-6. Against Florida State, Jack Plummer threw for 111 yards against Florida State, but did throw a touchdown pass. Overall his passer rating was 35.76 on a completion percentage of 38.9%.

Against the spread, Louisville was not able to cover as 1-point underdogs. On the over/under, the line was 46.5 going into the game resulting in the under hitting.

The Louisville Cardinals take on the USC with a 10-3 record, including 3-2 on the road and 6-1 at home.

Louisville’s average scoring differential for the season is +11.2 leading to an ATS mark of 5-7. The Cardinals have been favored nine times and the underdog in two games After 13 games, the average over/under line in Louisville’s matches stands at 49.5 points. The collective score in their games has averaged 50.6 points, resulting in an OU record of 6-6.

The USC Trojans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

USC is coming off a tough 38-20 loss to UCLA. The Trojans couldn’t hold on after a strong first-half, going into halftime with a 10-0 lead. USC was outscored by 28 in the second half. In the passing attack, Caleb Williams had a big game through the air vs. UCLA, throwing for 384 yards while completing 31 of his 42 attempts. Overall, he averaged 12.4 yards per completion and finished with a passer rating of 99.7.

The pre-game over/under line for this matchup was 63.5 points, which the teams fell short of. USC not only lost straight-up but didn’t cover the spread as 5-point favorites.

So far, the USC Trojans are 7-5, including going 3-2 on the road and 3-3 at home.

Heading into this week’s matchup with Louisville, the Trojans have been favored in eight games and the underdog in three. Their ATS mark coming into the game is 3-8. This season, USC has an over/under record of 8-3. Their games have, on average, produced a combined total of 76.8 points, with the typical over/under line being 66.6 points.

Louisville Offense Breakdown

Heading into their matchup vs. USC, the Cardinals’ offense is averaging 176.8 rushing yards per game, along with 4 yards per attempt. They currently hold the 27th rank in rushing yards and 40th rank in passing yards, amassing an average of 244 yards per game. In terms of scoring, Louisville is at 30.9 points per game, which is 31st in the NCAA.

So far this season, Jack Plummer has thrown for 3063 yards, averaging 13 per completion. His completion percentage is 63.5%, and he’s registered 21 touchdowns.

USC Offense Breakdown

As they prepare to face the Louisville, the Trojans’ offense is averaging 139.6 rushing yards per game and 4 yards per attempt. Nationally, they are 88th in rushing yards and 6th in passing yards, on an average of 329.8 yards per matchup. USC has averaged 41.8 points per game so far. This figure places them 6th in the nation.

The team’s leading passer is Caleb Williams, who has tallied 3633 passing yards with a completion percentage of 68.6%. He’s currently averaging 9.4 yards per pass attempt.

Louisville Team Defense

Looking at this week’s game, the Louisville defense stands at 74th in points allowed, permitting 19.7 points on average per game. So far, opposing teams have managed 205.4 passing yards per game against them (58th). On the ground, they’re conceding 104.8 rushing yards, ranking them 22nd in college football.

USC Team Defense

The Trojans defense heads into this week’s matchup with 27 sacks and sitting 1st in QB hurries. So far, they’ve allowed 34.9 points per game (145th). In the pass defense department, they’re 149th nationally, giving up 255.2 passing yards per game. Additionally, when it comes to defending the run, USC’s defense is allowing 185.3 rushing yards per contest.

Louisville vs USC Trends

  • Louisville is 3-7 in their last ten games road games.
  • USC’s ATS record at home (last three) is 1-2.
  • Looking back at the last ten times USC went into a game as the underdog, their ATS mark was 3-7.
  • Over their last three games as the betting favorite, Louisville has an ATS record of 1-2.

Louisville vs USC Prediction

Louisville is my choice to come out on top and cover the spread in this game. They come in with a stronger passing game than USC, which gives them the edge. I’m going with Louisville at -7.5 for this game.

With the over/under line at 58, I’m backing the over for this game. USC games have produced an average combined score of 76.8 points, and I expect this game to go over 58.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.