First Responder Bowl Betting Prediction
The nine-win Air Force Falcons are slight underdogs in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl against Louisville at 3:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday afternoon. Will Air Force cover or are the Cardinals the better play as slight chalk?
Game Snapshot
240 Air Force Falcons (+1) vs. 239 Louisville Cardinals (-1); o/u 54.5
3:15 p.m. ET, Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX
TV: ESPN
Air Force Falcons Game Notes
Air Force sophomore QB Zachary Larrier rushed nine times for 80 yards and one touchdown in Friday’s 48-14 win over UNLV. Starting quarterback Haaziq Daniels missed Friday’s game with a non-COVID related illness, which gave way to senior quarterback Warren Bryan to get the start. While Bryan got the start, it was Larrier (6’0/195) who stole the show at quarterback. His long run of the day came on an 18-yard rush off a read option, but Larrier also found the end zone on a 12-yard score for his first career touchdown. Larrier likely won’t see much playing time in Air Force’s upcoming bowl game, but he’s a player to watch heading into 2022. In addition to playing football at Air Force, he is also a track star, and was the Ohio State champion in the 400 meter run as a senior. Larrier could add an explosive layer to Air Force’s offense in the future, and today’s game against UNLV was a small taste of that.
Louisville Cardinals Game Notes
Louisville redshirt junior QB Malik Cunningham will come back and play one more year at Louisville. Cunningham has decided to use his final year of eligibility and stay with Louisville. He can certainly be compared to some other great recent Cardinals quarterbacks like Teddy Bridgewater and Lamar Jackson thanks to his big arm and electric mobility. Having Cunningham is huge for this team, especially because whoever would have came in wouldn’t have top wideout Jordan Watkins who entered the transfer portal. The quarterback finished fifth in the ACC with 968 rushing yards.
Air Force vs. Louisville Betting Prediction
The Falcons are 20-6 against the spread in their last 26 games following a win of more than 20 points, are 7-2 against the number in their last nine games overall and have covered in six of their last eight bowl games. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are 7-15-1 against the spread in their last 23 non-conference games, are 2-5 against the number in their last seven neutral site games and are 11-27-1 ATS in their last 39 games when playing an opponent with a winning record.
SERVPRO FIRST RESPONDER BOWL BETTING PREDICTION: AIR FORCE FALCONS +1