Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not travel to Atlanta for Monday’s opener against Louisville, he announced Saturday morning.
The Rebels are 10-point favorites over the Cardinals. The posted total of 76 is currently the highest on the board for the entire Week 1 slate.
Kiffin’s absence hasn’t rocked the betting markets — odds barely moved following the news — but losing one of the best offensive minds in the country for a prime-time, non-conference matchup can’t mean nothing. Ole Miss has yet to announce who will take over play-calling duties.
Although the Rebels are laying double digits, these two teams stack up dead equal in Collin Wilson’s 2021 power ratings.
Louisville is coming off an underwhelming 4-7 season, but no team left more on the table last season. Among programs that played at least 10 games, the Cardinals owned the largest discrepancy (-20.4%) between actual win percentage (36.4%) and expected win percentage (56.8%).
Both clubs are led by dynamic quarterbacks. Louisville’s Malik Cunningham and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral are 50-1 to win the Heisman Trophy at DraftKings.
The Cardinals’ win total closed at 6.5, and the Rebels at 7.5.
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