Both teams ride two-game winning streaks into Saturday, but Louisville Cardinals are favored by 22.5 points.
Stanford Cardinal sits at 4-4 on the season and has won two straight, capped by a 31-28 win over NC State Wolfpack in week 8. Louisville Cardinals enter at 4-3, also winners of two in a row, the latest a 34-26 road win over Syracuse Orange in week 7.
Game details
| When | Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 3:15 PM ET |
| Where | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium |
| TV | ACC Network |
| Line | Louisville Cardinals -22.5 | O/U 60.5 (market view) |
| Stanford Cardinal record | 4-4 |
| Louisville Cardinals record | 4-3 |
The matchup
Stanford Cardinal's season has been a rollercoaster. After beating Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 34-27 in week 4, the Cardinal dropped back-to-back blowouts, falling 3-57 to Wake Forest Demon Deacons and 7-58 to Notre Dame Fighting Irish, before rattling off wins over Elon Phoenix and NC State Wolfpack to get back to .500. On the season, Stanford has been outscored 284-159.
Louisville Cardinals have had their own swings. A 41-31 win over SMU Mustangs was followed by losses to Wake Forest Demon Deacons and NC State Wolfpack, before the Cardinals bounced back with wins over Florida State Seminoles and Syracuse Orange. Louisville has outscored opponents 271-192 on the year.
Key matchups
This one comes down to Louisville's offense against Stanford's defense. The Cardinals have put up 271 points this season, while Stanford has allowed 284. That's a tough matchup for a Stanford defense that's given up points in bunches, including the 58 and 57 allowed in back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
On the other side, Stanford's offense, which has managed only 159 points on the season, will have to find a way past a Louisville defense that has held opponents to 192 points. If Louisville's defense plays anything like its season averages, Stanford may struggle to keep pace.
The pick
Louisville Cardinals are favored by 22.5 points with a total of 60.5, and the market score has it 42-19 in Louisville's favor. Given Louisville's scoring edge and Stanford's defensive struggles this season, that line lines up with how these two teams have played. Louisville's two-game streak and balanced scoring margin give it the clear edge here.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Stanford Cardinal | Wk8 W 31-28 vs NC State Wolfpack, Wk7 W 34-7 vs Elon Phoenix, Wk6 L 7-58 vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| Louisville Cardinals | Wk7 W 34-26 vs Syracuse Orange, Wk6 W 44-20 vs Florida State Seminoles, Wk5 L 28-31 vs NC State Wolfpack |
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.