Louisville opens as a 2.5-point favorite over SMU
· Yahoo Sports
For the second time in three weeks, the Louisville football team will be playing in a ranked versus ranked matchup. Unlike in week one against Ole Miss, this time the Cardinals will be favored.
According to Fanduel Sportsbook, No. 23 U of L is beginning the week as a 2.5-point home favorite over No. 16 SMU. The Cardinals were a touchdown (or there abouts) underdog for their 41-38 season-opening loss to No. 9 Ole Miss.
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With Louisville and SMU appearing to be the two strongest teams in the ACC outside of Miami — and with neither team scheduled to play the Hurricanes this season — there’s a reason why some people are predicting Saturday’s game to be among the most consequential of any played in the conference this season.
For the Cards, Saturday is about more than just taking down a ranked league foe that may serve as their biggest obstacle on the path to the ACC Championship game.
Louisville has faced SMU in both seasons since the Mustangs have made the jump to the ACC, and in both seasons, the Cardinals have failed to knock off the newcomers. In 2024, it was a highly controversial overturned replay review that led SMU to a 34-27 upset at L&N Stadium that helped the Mustangs ultimately reach the College Football Playoff. There was far less drama a year ago in Dallas, when SMU dealt U of L its only real blowout loss of the Jeff Brohm era, a 38-6 throttling in November.
Led once again by Heisman hopeful quarterback Kevin Jennings, SMU is off to a 2-0 start in 2026. They opened the season with a sloppy 27-24 win at Florida State, and then destroyed visiting UC Davis on Saturday, 56-10.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with ESPN2 on the television coverage.