Louisville vs North Carolina Picks and Predictions for Saturday, November 14, 2026

The Louisville Cardinals visit North Carolina on Saturday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Louisville is 6-3, third in the ACC at 5-2, after beating Georgia Tech 44-17 last weekend. North Carolina stands 5-4 and 2-3 in conference play, ninth in the ACC, following a 38-21 win at UConn. The Cardinals have won four straight, while the Tar Heels snapped a two-game skid. Kickoff is 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2. Louisville is favored by 3.5 points, and the total is 59.5. Explore Saturday's matchups with our free college football picks.

Louisville Bringing Plenty of Firepower

Louisville didn't waste much time putting Georgia Tech away last Saturday. The Cardinals rolled to a 44-17 road win, their fourth consecutive victory. The offense has been on a tear, scoring 52 against Stanford, 34 against Syracuse and 44 against Florida State during that stretch. Louisville has reached 34 points in each of its last four games. The Cardinals are finding the end zone through the air and on the ground.

Lincoln Kienholz has thrown for 2,276 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 67.8% of his passes. Isaac Brown leads the rushing attack with 745 yards and eight touchdowns on just 99 carries. Keyjuan Brown adds 521 yards, while Kienholz has 394 rushing yards and 11 scores. Tre Richardson leads the receivers with 685 yards; Lawayne McCoy has 513. Defensively, Clev Lubin has seven sacks and Kaleb Beasley owns five interceptions.

Injuries: M. Quisenberry, A. O'Neal, A. Watts and K. Hughes are out. P. Cook, E. Lewis and H. Atkins are questionable.

North Carolina Showing Some Fight

North Carolina got back in the win column Saturday, beating UConn 38-21 on the road. The Tar Heels needed that result after narrow defeats to Miami, 38-35, and Syracuse, 31-30 in overtime. Those losses were frustrating, but North Carolina showed it could score against quality opponents. The Tar Heels have managed at least 30 points in three straight games. That is encouraging heading into a matchup with Louisville, whose offense has put up 174 points during its four-game winning streak.

Billy Edwards Jr. has passed for 2,127 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions. Jordan Shipp leads the receiving group with 50 catches for 642 yards, while tight end Jelani Thurman has 525 yards and eight touchdowns. Benjamin Hall leads North Carolina with 377 rushing yards, and Demon June has eight rushing scores. The Tar Heels average just 3.8 yards per carry, making Edwards' passing more important. Xavier Lewis leads the defense with seven sacks, and Derek McDonald has 89 tackles.

Injuries: C. Warren and K. Chapman are questionable. J. Washington and J. Warren are out.

Key To The Game

North Carolina has been giving up points, allowing 38 to Miami and 31 to Syracuse before beating UConn. Louisville can attack that defense with Kienholz and its backfield. The Tar Heels need Edwards to keep pace, but Louisville's pass rush and secondary could create problems if he forces throws.

Louisville vs North Carolina Game Pick

• Louisville Cardinals -3.5

Louisville has been scoring in bunches, and the Cardinals have won their last four games by an average of more than 19 points. Kienholz is protecting the football, while Isaac Brown keeps defenses honest on the ground. North Carolina can throw it around with Edwards, Shipp and Thurman, but the Tar Heels have struggled to contain stronger passing attacks. Louisville also has a defensive edge with Lubin getting pressure and Beasley creating turnovers. North Carolina should compete at home, but I'll take the Cardinals to cover 3.5.

Louisville vs North Carolina Over/Under Pick

• Over 59.5

There's plenty of scoring potential here. Louisville has scored at least 34 points in four straight games, and North Carolina has hit 30 or more in its last three. The Cardinals can stretch the field with Richardson and McCoy, while Isaac Brown averages 7.5 yards per carry. North Carolina has its own passing threats in Shipp and Thurman. Both teams recently gave up 30-plus points in games, and neither offense needs a long drive to produce a touchdown. I expect enough big plays to carry this over 59.5.