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You’ll have to forgive Louisville fans if they aren’t overly excited about this news given what happened in the team’s regular season finale against Kentucky, but the Cardinals are an early favorite in the First Responder Bowl.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Louisville is a 1.5-point favorite over Air Force in the bowl game, despite the Falcons carrying a 9-3 record and a three-game winning streak into the postseason.
U of L is 5-2 straight up as a favorite so far this season, and 1-0 in games away from Cardinal Stadium where they’re favored.
The 2021 First Responder Bowl will be played Tuesday, Dec. 28, at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. ET, and ESPN has the television coverage.
Louisville, which has never faced Air Force before, is 11-11-1 all-time in bowl games, and will be playing a postseason contest in Texas for the first time since 1958. This will also be U of L’s first bowl game against a non-SEC opponent since it joined the ACC in 2014.