The Louisville Cardinals are a near-lock to have their name announced when the initial College Football Playoff rankings are released on Tuesday evening. They likely won’t be in the top 12, but the Cardinals are definitely in the running for the CFP.
At BetKentucky.com, as part of our Kentucky college football betting season analysis, these are our exclusive odds on where the Cardinals will go bowling in 2025-26.
| Bowl, Location | Conference Opponent | Odds | Percent Chance |
| Duke’s Mayo, Charlotte | SEC | -125 | 55.6% |
| Pop Tarts, Orlando, FL | Big 12 | +400 | 20% |
| CFP First Round, TBD | TBD | +750 | 12.8% |
| Gator, Jacksonville | SEC | +1000 | 9.1% |
| The Field (Other Bowl or CFP Bye) | +3900 | 2.5% |
These odds are exclusive to BetKentucky.com as part of our Kentucky sports betting coverage; they will be updated all season.
The Cardinals odds for the playoff took a big jump thanks to several things taking place Saturday. First was their win at Virginia Tech, which moved their record to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. Beyond that, Georgia Tech, which was the conference’s top-ranked team, fell to North Carolina State; then Miami, the team Louisville beat a couple weeks ago, lost at SMU in overtime. That improved UofL’s chances of making the ACC Championship.
The ACC will get no more than two spots in the 12-team field, and it’s possible only the league champion gets its name called a month from now when the pairings are announced. The first official College Football Playoff rankings will be announced on Tuesday night. For now, DraftKings Kentucky Sportsbook gives the Cardinals the 10th best odds of making the CFP field, with their +220 odds equal to an implied probability of 31.3%.
We’re not as bullish as the oddsmakers, as there are still a lot of moving parts in the ACC. However, if they keep winning, the Cards’ odds will shorten.
BetKentucky.com will keep updating these odds and offer the best Kentucky sports betting promos all season.
Louisville has a compelling case to make to the CFP selection committee. First, it beat Miami on the road when Miami was the second-ranked team in the nation and among the favorites to win the national championship. The Cards’ lone loss is to Virginia in overtime, and the Cavaliers currently lead the ACC.
Coach Jeff Brohm’s team also has a very respectable non-conference win against James Madison. The Sun Belt team is currently 7-1 and on the cusp of making the top 25. Should the Dukes make the CFP Top 25, the selection committee would consider that a noteworthy win for Louisville.
UofL must win out, and that will include a Nov. 22 game at SMU that should go a long way in deciding whether either will make the ACC Championship (Caesars Kentucky Sportsbook rates Louisville at +300 odds to win the ACC, second behind Georgia Tech at +240).
The Cardinals will also need to avoid letdowns against both Clemson and Kentucky. The Clemson Tigers, a conference favorite, at the start of the season, are fighting to stay bowl eligible. After losing badly to Louisville at home last season, the Tigers would love to trip up the Cards.
The same goes with Kentucky. At 3-5, the Wildcats chances to go to a bowl are slim. The end-of-the-season game in Louisville could be the Cats’ bowl game, and Mark Stoops has shown he can beat the Cards.
First, though, Louisville hosts California on Saturday (7 p.m. Eastern, ESPN). The Cards are a 19.5-point favorite at BetMGM Kentucky Sportsbook in that game.
USA Today photo by Brett Davis
Year | Bowl | Result |
2024 | Sun Bowl | Win, 35-34 vs. Washington |
2023 | Holiday Bowl | Loss, 42-28 vs. Southern Cal |
2023 | Fenway Bowl | Win, 24-7 vs. Cincinnati |
2021 | First Responder Bowl | Loss, 31-28 vs. Air Force |
2019 | Music City Bowl | Win, 38-28 vs. Mississippi State |
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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