Air Force Falcons vs Louisville Cardinals 2021 First Responder Bowl
Our Air Force vs Louisville prediction for the 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl is our second of five picks for Tuesday, December 28. With a 6-2 MWC record, the Air Force Falcons (9-3) finished tied for first with Utah State in the Mountain Division. The Falcons had a strong end to their season, as they won their final three games. In the AAC, the Louisville Cardinals (6-6) ended the season at 4-4 and tied with Florida State for fourth in the Atlantic Division. They went 2-3 in their last five games.
First Responder Bowl Spread and Totals Odds
The best line for Louisville is -1.0 (-115). The underdog Air Force can be found at +2.0 (-112). The over/under is 55.5. The under is -109 while the over is -111. The 2021 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, TX with kickoff at 3:15 pm ET. Weather at game time will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Falcons vs Cardinals Pick - Stats
Both teams are averaging just over 31 PPG. Air Force favors the rush attack, as 341.4 of their 423.9 total offensive yards are on the ground. Of the Cardinals’ 450.3 total offensive yards, 238.9 are passing and 211.3 rushing. Our Air Force vs Louisville prediction notes that the Falcons bring a very tight and tough defense to this game. The Cardinals are giving up 27.0 PPG while the Falcons are allowing just 19.1. Additionally, Louisville is giving up 245.1 passing and 156.7 rushing yards per game. Conversely, Air Force is allowing 112 few yards per game with 193.5 in the air and 94.8 on the ground.
Air Force vs Louisville Prediction - Key Players
Air Force’s Haaziq Daniels is a running quarterback who occasionally passes. Daniels has rushed for nine scores while tossing just five TD passes. He’s thrown for 932 yards and run for 705. At quarterback, Daniels has thrown three picks and been sacked seven times. The rushing unit, which is seven deep, is led by Brad Roberts. Roberts has 1,279 yards on 279 carries and has scored 13 times. WR Brandon Lewis leads all Falcons with 16 catches for 447 yards. Lewis, who has scored once, is averaging 27.9 YPC. The Air Force defense is accomplished and led by linebacker Vince Sanford and deep back Milton Bugg III. Sanford tops the team with 56 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and four FF. He also has three passes defended. Bugg, who is second in tackles with 55, has defended 11 passes and made two picks.
Malik Cunningham is a dual-threat quarterback who is likely to keep the Air Force defense on its heels. Cunningham has thrown for 2,734 yards and rushed for 968 more. He’s tossed 18 TD passes and run for 19 scores. Running back Jalen Mitchell, who has rushed for 722 yards, is averaging 4.7 YPA. He’s scored five times. The receiving unit is four deep and is led by tight end Marshon Ford and wideout Jordan Watkins. WR Tyler Harrell is especially dangerous, as he’s scored five times on just 14 catches and is averaging 31.6 YPC. Top performers on defense include linebackers Yasir Abdullah (9 SCKs, 3 PD) and C.J. Avery (87 TCKLs, 3 SCKs, 5 PD) and deep back Kei'Trel Clark (9 PD, 3 INTs).
Air Force vs Louisville Prediction
What’s the skinny on this game? Is it Air Force’s rush attack and premium defense? Or is it Louisville’s dual-threat Cunningham and stellar individual performers on D? Here’s what we think. We see the potential for a 24-20 game with the Cardinals eking out a win. That’s what we are going with, Louisville at -1.0 (-115) and under 55.5 (-109).
Sports Betting Smarts is previewing and predicting every one of this season’s 41 college football bowl games. In the first week, we went 12-4 with an 8-2 mark on Saturday.
2021 First Responder Bowl - Air Force vs Louisville Summary
Spread - Louisville -1.0 (-115)
Over/Under - Under 55.5 (-109)
