Welcome to Week 5!
Louisville football, still undefeated, has its first road test of the season at Pitt this Saturday. Kentucky is back in action after an early bye and headed to Columbia, South Carolina, looking to break some unfortunate streaks with a conference dub.
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Those two games are part of The Courier Journal’s picks slate, as are Western Kentucky vs. Missouri State, No. 4 LSU vs. No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 2 Penn State.
Here’s a look at this week’s picks. As is our custom, predictions are straight-up winners and losers (not against the spread), with rankings based on the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. All times listed are ET, and all odds listed are per DraftKings as of Tuesday.
Louisville at Pitt
How to watch: noon Saturday, ESPN2
The picks: Eight for Louisville
Betting line: Louisville -4.5, over/under 57.5
The undefeated Cardinals have a chance to start conference play 1-0 and avenge the first loss of coach Jeff Brohm‘s tenure this week at Pitt. Running backs Isaac Brown and Duke Watson are still banged up, Brohm said Monday, so it’s unclear whether they’ll be available Saturday. But Louisville is poised to get something going in the air with Miller Moss coming off one of the best throwing games of his career. And the defense has been a bright spot so far this season.
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Kentucky at South Carolina
How to watch: 7:45 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network
The picks: Seven for South Carolina, and one for Kentucky (Natalie Pierre)
Betting line: South Carolina -6.5, over/under 46.5
The Wildcats are looking for their first conference victory of the season after last week’s bye. UK has lost its last seven games against power conference opponents, and it’ll face stiff competition after South Carolina in Georgia, Texas and Tennessee. Upsetting the Gamecocks in Columbia may be the Cats’ only chance to avoid a double-digit losing streak against their peers.
Western Kentucky at Missouri State
How to watch: 7 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+
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The picks: Eight for Western Kentucky
Betting line: Western Kentucky -4.5, over/under 60.5
Western Kentucky’s offense has been rolling all season. The Hilltoppers are averaging 37 points per game. Quarterback Maverick McIvor has completed 102 passes for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns. Missouri State’s defense, on the other hand, has allowed 32.8 points per game this season.
No. 4 LSU at No. 11 Ole Miss
How to watch: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
The picks: Five for LSU, and three for Ole Miss (C.L. Brown, Alexis Cubit and Natalie Pierre)
Betting line: Ole Miss -1.5, over/under 54.5
This battle of the SEC’s undefeateds will be top offense versus top defense. Ole Miss averages 543.4 yards per game, which ranks ninth among FBS teams. LSU’s defense allows 9.3 points per game, which also ranks ninth (granted, the Tigers have only faced two power conference opponents this season). Likewise, the oddsmakers expect a close game.
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No. 5 Oregon at No. 2 Penn State
How to watch: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC/Peacock
The picks: Five for Penn State, and three for Oregon (C.L. Brown, Payton Titus and Natalie Pierre)
Betting line: Penn State -3.5, over/under 52.5
We get a top-five contest that doubles as a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game this weekend. Oregon is in for its toughest regular-season matchup of the year as it travels to Penn State for a White Out night game. This one will also have significant implications regarding the Big Ten title, as Penn State plays Ohio State later this season, but Oregon does not.
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The standings
1st – Natalie Pierre, 21-4
2nd – C.L. Brown, 20-5
3rd – Ryan Black, 19-6
4th – Brooks Holton and Rich Barak, 18-7
6th – Jason Frakes, 17-8
7th – Payton Titus, 16-9
8th – Alexis Cubit, 14-11
Reach college sports enterprise reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@gannett.com and follow her on X @petitus25. Subscribe to her “Full-court Press” newsletter here for a behind-the-scenes look at how college sports’ biggest stories are impacting Louisville and Kentucky athletics.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville-Pitt prediction, Kentucky-South Carolina picks
