Friday night College football has two intriguing matchups. The UCF Golden Knights of the AAC take on the Louisville Cardinals out of the ACC. The late-game has two Big Ten opponents squaring off against each other with the Maryland Terrapins traveling to Champaign, Illinois to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.
UCF at Louisville
Gus Malzahn’s first year has started off on the right foot. They are 2-0 with a comeback win against Boise State in week 1. Louisville struggled on defense against Ole Miss’s high-powered offensive attack but managed to put up some points behind quarterback Malik Cunnigham. Will the Cardinals’ offense be able to outscore the Golden Knights?
Verdict: UCF(-7) Bet this game right now if it is still at -7. UCF has only allowed 10 points since halftime of their opening game. They were able to shut down the Broncos in the second half and this defense will be able to keep Malik Cunningham from escaping the pocket.
UCF 38 – Louisville 21
Maryland at Illinois
Both teams had great wins to kick off their year. The Terrapins started the season hot with a win against West Virginia, and Illinois had a surprising win against Nebraska. Unfortunately, the Fighting Illini have dropped two in a row to UTSA and Virginia. Arthur Sitkowski has taken over the quarterback position after Brandon Peters had a season-ending injury against Nebraska in week 1, he hasn’t been awful but the Illinois defense is still a work in progress. Maryland’s Tagovailoa to Jarret connection was key against the Mountaineers, and with Demus Jr. finding space, this offense can be scary at times.
Verdict: (Maryland -7) The Terrapins are a scary team. They have some weaknesses but I anticipate them scoring at will against this Illini defense. Look for Jarret and Demus Jr to have big games through the air with Fleet Davis wear them down on the ground.
Maryland 38 – Illinois 17