First Responder Bowl: Air Force vs. Louisville odds, picks and prediction
The Air Force Falcons (9-3) meet the Louisville Cardinals (6-6) Tuesday at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Air Force vs. Louisville odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Falcons closed the season with three consecutive wins and covers, while scoring 35 or more points in each of the outings. The scoring output helped the Over go 3-0 in the three games. Air Force is 7-2 ATS in the previous nine games overall.
A lot of teams have been hit by the transfer portal and players electing to forgo their final season of eligibility. However, Louisville QB Malik Cunningham announced he is returning for next season, while head coach Scott Satterfield is also coming back.
The news isn't all good for Louisville though, as WRs Jordan Watkins and Justin Marshall are each hitting the portal. Watkins was second on the team in receptions (35), receiving yards (529) and touchdowns (4) with 15.2 yards per reception.
See also: AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports
Air Force vs. Louisville odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:47 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Air Force -103 (bet $103 to win $100) | Louisville -117 (bet $117 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Air Force +1.5 (-115) | Louisville -1.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 54.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Louisville vs. Air Force odds, lines, picks and predictions
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Prediction
Air Force 27, Louisville 24
Money line
AIR FORCE (-103) is a good play as Louisville has to adjust without two of its top-four receivers. The Falcons rolled up 341.5 rushing yards per game, tops in the nation, and the Cardinals were just 77th in the country with 157.1 yards per game allowed on the ground. That's one of the areas of focus in Air Force's favor.
The Falcons defense is also seventh in the country with just 95.6 yards per game allowed on the ground, so it should be able to shut down a fairly effective run game led by the dual-threat QB Cunningham.
Against the spread
Play AIR FORCE +1.5 (-115) if you strongly believe this is going to be a one-point game. If not, the Falcons are a little cheaper just playing straight up on the money line. Air Force is 6-2 ATS in the past eight bowl games, while Louisville is 7-15-1 ATS in the past 23 outside of the ACC, 11-27-1 ATS in the past 39 against winning teams and 2-5 ATS in the past seven neutral-site battles.
Over/Under
The lean is to the UNDER 54.5 (-110). It's all about the Under for Air Force, which is 17-7 O/U across the past 24 games. The Under is also 5-1 in its past six bowl games, while going 7-3-1 in the past 11 neutral-site contests.
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