Miami is hosting Louisville on Friday night of Week 8. The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Hurricanes are 13.5-point home favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 51.5 points. This is a preview, prediction and pick for this Louisville vs. Miami ACC Conference matchup.
Louisville vs. Miami prediction, preview
Louisville Preview
The Cardinals are coming off a tough loss to Virginia last week. Louisville was considered to be among the second-tier ACC teams, with the capability of competing with Clemson and Miami. After Clemson’s disastrous start to the season, a spot opened up to get into the ACC Championship Game against Miami. While the Cardinals aren’t out of the picture yet, last week’s loss puts them in a hole, as UVA was one of the other teams capable of getting into that spot after its massive win over Florida State. Now, Louisville would need to win out and have UVA lose twice to get ahead of it in the ACC — not to mention all of the other teams vying for the spot. While Louisville’s ACC hopes are likely diminished, this team could pull off a big upset over Miami to make its mark on the 2025 college football season. Quarterback Miller Moss will need to have the game of his life, but where Louisville really needs to step up is in the trenches.
Miami Preview
Miami has been one of the best teams in college football. The Hurricanes have faced multiple significant tests already this season and have risen to the occasion each time. They opened the season with a huge win over Notre Dame, beat a tough South Florida team and knocked off two of their major in-state rivals, Florida and Florida State. If Miami can take care of business in this game, it should be relatively smooth sailing through the rest of its schedule to get to the ACC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. Carson Beck has stepped up to the plate and played at a high level for the Hurricanes, but it is on the offensive and defensive lines where the Hurricanes have really impressed. They are capable of competing and winning against any team in the country because of their ability in the trenches.
Louisville vs. Miami pick, best bet
My best bet for this Friday night ACC matchup is for Louisville to cover the large spread. Louisville has an explosive offense that can create big plays out of nowhere. While he hasn’t been as consistent as many Cardinals fans hoped he would be, Moss has shown flashes of how special he can be. Running back Isaac Brown and wide receivers Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy are great weapons to work with. Carson Beck and Miami are likely to get points up on the board, but as long as its offensive line can hold up, Louisville should keep pace the whole way. The Cardinals are averaging over 32 points per game this season. This will be their toughest test so far, but they are capable of scoring with anybody. Over his tenure at Miami, Mario Cristobal has not proven that he can have his team prepared to play every week. This could be a spot where Miami slips up and gets beaten, and at the very least, Louisville should be able to keep it competitive.
