Louisville vs Miami Picks & Parlay: Same Game Parlay for College Football Week 8

An ACC showdown between Louisville and Miami headlines Friday’s Week 8 action at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN in what figures to be a great appetizer for the absolutely loaded slate of college football on Saturday. Both of these teams come into this game following a week off, so there is no short rest to speak of, despite it being a Friday game. The Hurricanes are a perfect 5-0 and #2 in the AP Poll, while the Cardinals are 4-1 – their lone loss being at home in overtime to a ranked Virginia team prior to their bye. 

The Hurricanes have taken 3 of 4 games against the Cardinals since 2019, and they are heavily favored to take a 4th in 5 meetings on Friday. Not only would a win in this game propel Miami to its 2nd consecutive 6-0 start, but it also would set Miami up for a clear path to an undefeated season, assuming it wins on the road at SMU and Pitt later this year. With a big, primetime conference game on our hands, I put together a Louisville vs Miami Same Game Parlay at +550 odds. Let’s break down each leg before you check out our NCAAF picks on over 30 games and CFB best bets for the massive Week 8 college football card.

First half Under 27.5 (-145)

Mark Fletcher Jr. (MIA) under 72.5 rushing yards (-115)

CJ Daniels (MIA) anytime TD (-110)

Louisville vs Miami Same Game Parlay odds: +550

Odds available at bet365 at the time of publishing.

Louisville Cardinals vs Miami Hurricanes alternate first half under 27.5 (-145)

Since posting my Louisville vs Miami full-game prediction, the total on this game has dropped a few points past where I deem it a playable number for the under. However, using an alternate total prop, you can still bet under a key number in the first half – so that’s the route I’m going to go. 

Miami’s offense operates methodically, ranking 129th in seconds per play against FBS opponents, and the Hurricanes’ defense is a significant step up in class for the Louisville offense. The Cardinals already struggle enough to capitalize on scoring opportunities, sitting 116th in points per quality drive since the middle of September, and it won’t get much easier against a Miami defense that is top 35 in that metric while allowing just 13 red-zone trips on the season as a whole. All things considered, I’m looking for a sluggish start to this contest.

Read our full Louisville vs Miami prediction

Mark Fletcher Jr. (MIA) under 72.5 rushing yards (-115)

Mark Fletcher Jr. has been a dynamic runner for the Hurricanes this season, so betting an under on him isn’t exactly settling, despite me feeling this number is too high. Fletcher certainly is the lead back on Miami’s roster, but sophomore CharMar Brown has a role carved out in the offense as well – which eats into Fletcher’s workload. That only helps us on this prop. 

Whether it’s Fletcher or Brown toting the rock, Miami’s run game could be in for a stiff test. Louisville’s defensive front has been strong against the run this season, sitting in the top 35 in rush yards allowed per game, yards per carry and rushing success rate allowed outside of garbage time since Week 3. Moreover, the Cardinals have surrendered just 1 20+ yard rush and as little as 18 10+ yard rushes on the season as a whole. This is certainly the best offense Louisville will have faced to this point, but there’s still enough here for me to like the under on Fletcher’s rushing prop.

Start the weekend right with our CFB Friday parlay picks at +583 odds

CJ Daniels (MIA) anytime touchdown scorer (-110)

Let’s include CJ Daniels to score a touchdown to round out this Louisville vs Miami Same Game Parlay. Daniels may not lead the team in targets, but he leads the team in receiving touchdowns and has a much better matchup against the Louisville secondary than target-leader Malachi Toney. Arguably Louisville’s best coverage defender, Antonio Watts plays a good bit in the slot, which is where Toney lines up a vast majority of the time. Meanwhile, Daniels lines up on the outside more often than not, and will be opposed by defenders that are not as strong as Watts in coverage. Look for Daniels to find pay dirt for the 6th time this season.

Now read Sam’s CFB best bet for Friday night, targeting San Jose State vs Utah State