Louisville must replace two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Lamar Jackson in 2018, and the season is probably going to start on a sour note. But one sportsbook thinks the program’s opener against Alabama will be really, really ugly.
In early odds released by 5Dimes, the reigning national champions are a whopping 29.5-point favorite over Louisville.
Alabama loses several key players on defense and a few starters on offense, but Nick Saban has built the program into a perennial title contender.
Plus, the Crimson Tide bring back Jalen Hurts — who has guided them to consecutive championship appearances — and Tua Tagovailoa, who threw the game-winning touchdown to beat Georgia. No matter which player wins the impending quarterback battle is highly respected.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals will be turning to Jawon Pass. Though coveted as a recruit, he’s recorded just 33 attempts in college. Pass’ debut as Louisville’s starter will be against an elite defense at a neutral site. It doesn’t get much tougher than that.
Yes, the four-touchdown line is massive, but Pass is inexperienced and Alabama has a history of rolling opponents to begin the year. For the last six years, the Tide have kicked off the campaign with an impressive win over a power-conference school.
Clearly, that trend is highly likely to continue. Louisville might not need more than about 30 minutes on Sep. 1 in Orlando to recognize how much it misses Jackson.