Each bowl season brings exciting first-ever matchups, and 2024 is no different. One of the most intriguing? The Louisville Cardinals taking on the Washington Huskies.
Who’s got the edge? Our Louisville vs. Washington prediction dives into all the details—from the latest betting odds to what’s on the line for both teams as they clash in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
Louisville vs. Washington Sun Bowl Betting Preview
All Louisville vs. Washington odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Louisville -3 - Spread
Washington -1.5 - Moneyline
Washington -118, Louisville -102 - Over/Under
49.5 points - Game Time
2:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Dec. 31 - Location
Sun Bowl | El Paso, Texas - Predicted Weather at Kick
TBD - How To Watch
CBS
Bettors have made much money betting on Louisville and Washington to cover recently. The Cardinals are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games, and the Huskies are 2-4 ATS in their last six.
An extra measure pointing away from the latter is that they are 1-6 ATS in their last seven as underdogs.
MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator
Yet, the total trends are a bit more diverse:
- The over has hit in 12 of Louisville’s last 17.
- The under has cashed in all five of Louisville’s past five against Big Ten opponents.
- The under has hit in 12 of Washington’s last 17.
Louisville’s Winning Probability
While Louisville’s season may feel a bit disappointing coming off a 10-4 record and ACC title berth, its 8-4 campaign with a fourth straight bowl appearance is nothing to scoff at. However, the transfer portal has ransacked the depth chart, calling the FPM’s current win probability for the Cardinals of over 70% into question.
- at Washington: 73.8%
Washington’s Winning Probability
We all knew Washington would come back down to Earth from a 14-1 record and a national championship berth, but Jedd Fisch’s 6-6 campaign in the program’s first year in Big Ten was largely forgettable. Of course, capping the season off with a bowl win would go a long way toward winning the fanbase back and building hype for 2025.
- vs. Louisville: 26.2%
Prediction for Louisville vs. Washington
Since their humiliating loss at Stanford on Nov. 16, Louisville has been nearly unstoppable. The Cardinals wrapped up their regular season with authority, dominating Pitt 37-9 in their home finale and obliterating Kentucky 41-14 to reclaim the Governor’s Cup.
Meanwhile, Washington’s season has been a rollercoaster under Jedd Fisch, who took over after Kalen DeBoer’s departure to Alabama.
MORE: 2024 College Football Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker
The Huskies scraped their way to bowl eligibility but stumbled to a sub-.500 record in their first Big Ten campaign, never managing back-to-back wins against FBS opponents—a sharp contrast to their national runner-up finish in 2023.
That said, Louisville seems to have one foot in next season already. Key players like starting QB Tyler Shough, WR Ja’Corey Brooks, and EDGE Ashton Gillotte have either declared for the 2025 NFL Draft or entered the transfer portal, leaving the Cardinals short-handed.
Washington, on the other hand, isn’t facing the same exodus, but they’ll hand the offense over to true freshman Demond Williams Jr., who has shown flashes of potential throughout the season. While relying on a true freshman can be risky, Williams’ dual-threat ability helps him navigate the growing pains at quarterback.
Would you rather place your bets on Louisville’s backup, redshirt freshman Pierce Clarkson, who has only appeared in two games this year, completing 3 of 4 passes for 11 yards?
I expect Williams and the Huskies to score enough points to leave the Sun Bowl with a win over the depleted Cardinals.
Prediction: Washington 27, Louisville 20
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