Louisville did everything but pull off the win in a 41-38 firefight against Ole Miss. That was on Sunday night, and now it has just a few days to get ready for the home opener on a Friday. Villanova also lost its opener in a wild 35-32 battle with William & Mary.
Louisville vs Villanova: Quick Hits
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The two teams played in back-to-back seasons, with William & Mary winning 21-7 in 1977, and Louisville returning the favor 33-21 in 1978,
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Yes, this is a quick week for Louisville, but on the plus side, it gets another day to get ready for the ACC showdown against SMU next.
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Under Jeff Brohm, Louisville is 3-0 against FCS teams by a combined score of 169-17.
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How To Watch Louisville vs Villanova
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 PM ET
TV: ACC Network
Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KY
– Week 2 Schedule, Picks
– CFN Expert Picks: Week 2
Why Villanova Will Win
The Wildcats lost to William & Mary because they did what they rarely did in 2025 – screw up. They’re usually careful with the ball, but the four turnovers were a killer. Clean those up, and this is a different team.
Villanova can run. It averaged over five yards per carry last week, and they have to commit to the ground game to have a shot.
Why Louisville Will Win
Villanova is good, but it doesn’t have Trinidad Chambliss. The Ole Miss playmaker went off when he needed to against the Cardinals. Villanova threw three picks against William & Mary.
For the Cardinal attack, Lincoln Kienholz showed why this will be a different, more dangerous offense. He led the team with 69 rushing yards, threw for over 300 yards with two touchdowns, and considering Villanova didn’t have an answer for the Tribe’s William Watkins last week, look out.
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Louisville vs Villanova Prediction, Betting Lines
Louisville will get off to a hot start and try to get this over as fast as possible. It needs to rest and relax with SMU coming up, and that starts by not letting Kienholz take a ton of big shots. The running backs and defensive line will take over.
Louisville 48, Villanova 10
Latest Consensus Line: Louisville -36.5, o/u: 56.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
