The SMU Mustangs and Louisville Cardinals play on Saturday, Sept, 19, 2026, at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, in a game on the college football Week 3 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 3 game?
Check out these college football Week 3 picks and college football Week 3 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 12:30 p.m. MST on ESPN2 (stream with FUBO
).Louisville is a 1.5-point favorite over SMU in college football Week 3 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Cardinals are -120 on the moneyline, while the Mustangs are +100. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 59.5 points.
Watch Louisville vs SMU on FUBO (free trial)
Stat Salt: Bet SMU with the points vs Louisville
Kim Smith writes: "Louisville's offensive explosion
against Villanova was impressive, but SMU has already produced the more meaningful result by winning 27-24 at Florida State. The Mustangs have demonstrated that they can generate explosive offense in a hostile ACC environment, and getting points in what appears to be a relatively even matchup provides additional value. I would also consider SMU on the moneyline."
Bookies.com: Bet Louisville on the moneyline vs SMU
Bill Speros writes: "The winner holds the inside track to a berth in the ACC title game. SMU crushed 38-6 Louisville just 10 months ago. This early season ACC treat features two ranked teams gunning for a trip to Charlotte and conference title game. The Mustangs have dominated conference play since their ACC arrival two years ago. This time, The Cards have a star QB in Lincoln Kienholz. This year’s meeting won’t be decided by 32 points."
Big 12 football Week 3 picks: Houston vs Texas Tech | Tulane vs Kansas State | Bowling Green vs Iowa State | Arizona State vs Kansas | Utah State vs Utah | BYU vs Colorado State | West Virginia vs Virginia | Colorado vs Northwestern | Northern Illinois vs Arizona | The Republic's predictions
Dimers.com: Louisville 31, SMU 29
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives Southern Methodist a win probability of 46%, while Louisville has a win probability of 54%."
ESPN: Louisville has a 52.8% chance to defeat SMU on Saturday
The site gives the Mustangs a 47.2% shot at winning the college football Week 3 game.

Sports Betting Dime: SMU 25, Louisville 23.1
The site's formula predicts that the Mustangs will beat the Cardinals in the Week 3 college football game.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: SMU vs Louisville picks, predictions, odds for Week 3 game Saturday
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