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Kansas State Louisville Predictions

Written September 17, 2008 by Jack Jones

We have a Wednesday matchup in college football this week with the Kansas State Wildcats heading to Louisville to take on the Cardinals on ESPN2. The early lines set at Sportsbook.com show Kansas State as a 4.5 point favorites over Louisville with the total being set at 56. Check our live college football point spreads to see where you can get the best number on the bet you want to make on the game.

The Wildcats come into this game at 2-0, with a couple of blowout wins over lower tier teams. K-State started things off with a 45-6 win against North Texas and followed it up 69-10 win over Montana State and before getting 11 days off to prepare for Louisville. The Cardinals were supposed to provide a rare non-conference test for the Wildcats, but the program has hit some recent hard times. Still, we will know more about whether this team can contend for the Big 12 North after Wednesday night.

At quarterback, Josh Freeman appears to be progressing nicely. He has an outstanding 209.3 pass efficiency rating on 76% passing and five touchdowns. All the while throwing for 260 ypg. Brandon Banks has been Freeman’s top target, catching nine passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns, while Aubrey Croyles and Lamark Brown have added 15 catches and the other two scores. If Freeman and the Wildcats hope to move the ball against Louisville then they are going to need more out of the ground game. Running back Keithen Valentine gained just 104 yards on 25 carries to start the season, not bad if you are taking on Texas and Oklahoma, but not great against weaker schools.

Head coach Ron Prince has gotten his guys to play tough defensively in the early going. Against Montanta State the team got a little bit of confidence, scoring on two returns and a blocked punt. Defensive back Courtney Herndon is aggressive, but sometimes gets burnt for gambling too much. Still, he’s coming off a game in which he had a 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown, blocked a punt that a teammate recovered for a score, and then returned a pick to set up another score. If you think Kansas State can cover the 4.5 point spread, then bet at Sportsbook.com and get a 100% bonus on your first win!

Louisville was embarrassed the first week of the season when their in-state rivals in Kentucky came to town and embarrassed them, 27-2. The Cardinals followed that up with a 51-10 blowout of Tennessee Tech, but now they return to face a much stronger opponent.

The Cardinals haven’t really been able to establish the run either over their first three games, but against the smaller Wildcat line this could be their chance. Expect to see Brock Brolen more this week. He’s a powerful back who only has 17 carries for 58 yards after two games. There will also be a healthy dose of Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell will be under center and hopefully he plays more like he did against Tech than against Kentucky. Cantwell now has three interceptions to only two touchdowns on 53% passing.

The Cardinals have tried to get faster on defense, and defensive coordinator Ron English is going to try to use that to get to Freeman. Louisville knows that if they give him time then he’ll most likely eat them alive. The bad news is that through two games, Freeman has yet to be sacked. If you think Louisville can cover the 4.5 point odds, then bet the game at Sportsbook.com using your credit or debit card.

Oddsmakers Predicted Score on the Football Game: Kansas State 30, Louisville 27

Athlon Sports is taking K-State by 6 with their football picks, meaning they say lay the points!

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