Louisville vs. Kentucky Prediction, Odds & Pick
Prediction, odds and the model's read
Our model's read
Scouting report
2026 projection · last season, roster and staff
Where Louisville gets at Kentucky: 17th at moving the ball on the ground, against a unit 89th at shutting down the ground game. Kentucky projects no clear way in against Louisville. Louisville is also 27th on first and second down, against a unit 93rd.
How
LOUattacks
UK
- 1
Lean on the run
moving the ball on the ground · projected
LOU#17 of 138UK#89 of 138 - 2
Win first and second down
first and second down · projected
LOU#27 of 138UK#93 of 138
The two teams
Louisville
Louisville throws it: Jeff Brohm's offenses have been heavily pass-leaning across 10 seasons. The strengths are on both sides of the ball, led by 15th at closing out passing downs. The way in is 116th at staying out of the backfield.
On fourth down he goes for it about as often as his peers do from the same spots (−2.2%). Against what the expected-points model recommends he is −35.8% — the profession as a whole is negative on this.
Louisville has played 2 games against a soft slate, adjusted for here. That football carries about 0% of what is below; the rest is still the preseason projection.
Projected strengths
- Defensesurviving second and twelve#15projected
- Defensethrowing it#16projected
- Offensemoving the ball on the ground#17projected
Projected soft spots
- Offensegetting stopped at the line#116projected
Kentucky
Kentucky is in year 1 under Will Stein. The way in is 113th at hitting chunk plays, and they are 109th at keeping a clean pocket.
Kentucky has not played an FBS opponent yet, so this is the projection: last season regressed toward the mean, plus returning production, recruiting, talent and whether the staff is the same one.
Projected soft spots
- Offensehitting chunk plays#113projected
- Offensesacks and tackles for loss#109projected
Ranks are national. Nothing here is last season's number — carrying one forward is measurably worse than saying nothing — and in-season figures are adjusted for who was actually played. This describes the matchup; it is not a prediction and not a pick.
Head coaches only — there is no free feed for coordinators, so on a program where the head coach does not call the offense this describes the staff he hired. Play-calling identity is a style, not a grade: throwing more than the situations warrant is not better than throwing less than they warrant.
Model prediction
how the number is builtOur model simulates the game drive by drive from each side's opponent-adjusted efficiency (UK Elo 1416, LOU Elo 1668 for reference), with home-field advantage. That projects UK +5.3 (37% to win), essentially in line with the market.
Why that percentage is worth reading: across 604 graded in-season games, the calls this model put near 58% came in at 58.2%. The full calibration table is published, bin by bin. Early in the season the cold-start path runs instead and calibrates less well (Brier 0.2028 against 0.1889).
Model as of Sep 1 · through week 1 · drive simulation
Where the game is won
2026 national rank · right is better
offensethe defense it faces
Moving the ball
LOU15th72ndUKUK84th82ndLOUThrough the air
LOU13th84thUKUK75th112thLOUOn the ground
LOU41st66thUKUK90th74thLOUStaying on the field
LOU35th116thUKUK131st60thLOUTaking care of it
LOU1st14thUKUK95th30thLOU
Each bar runs from last in the country on the left to 1st on the right. The filled span is the gap between the offense and the defense it faces.
Season form — 2026
nationally rankedThe matchup, in context
series history + adjusted profilesThe series is level at 17–17 · Louisville has won 2 straight · 35% have been one-possession games
| LOU | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| +12.9 (#28) | CORE overall | +5.1 (#51) |
| +9 / -4 | offense / defense | -1 / -6 |
Bold is the side ahead. CORE strips the situation from every play and solves the schedule out across the league, so these compare two teams that never met.
Key matchups
The analyst read: each team's offense splits crossed against the opponent's defense, with the edges called out.
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FAQ
Who will win Louisville vs. Kentucky?
Gridpex's model favors Louisville with a 64% win probability.
What's the predicted spread for Louisville vs. Kentucky?
The model projects Louisville by 5.3.
What time is Louisville vs. Kentucky and what channel is it on?
Time TBD, at Kroger Field.
Where this number comes from. Every projection on this page is produced by the same model, run before kickoff on opponent-adjusted efficiency, power ratings and situational data — walk-forward validated on eleven seasons and never adjusted after the fact. How the model works →