Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs Louisville Cardinals NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/28/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Colonels versus the Cardinals? Tip off is at at 12:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on CW. The game will be played at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. The over/under for this game is set at 154.5 points, and Louisville is favored by -19.5 against Eastern Kentucky in a non-conference matchup.
EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS VS LOUISVILLE CARDINALS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Eastern Kentucky Colonels +19.5
This game will be played at KFC Yum! Center at 12:00 ET on Saturday, December 28th.
WHY BET THE EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-67 in favor of the Cardinals.
- Even though we have Louisville winning straight-up, we like Eastern Kentucky at +19.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 154.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Can the Colonels Pull the Upset on the Road?
Eastern Kentucky Colonels Recent Game/Games
Eastern Kentucky dropped to 4-6 on the season after a 91-80 home loss to Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Colonels entered the game as +1 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.
The game was tied 33-33 at halftime, but Eastern Kentucky allowed 58 points in the 2nd half while scoring 47. The total points of 171 exceeded the O/U line of 145.5.
Eastern Kentucky’s offense put up 80 points in their last game, despite shooting just 39.4% from the field and 23.3% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.1%, but they excelled at the free-throw line, hitting 89.5% of their attempts.
Devontae Blanton led the way with 36 points, shooting 50% overall, while Jaron Pierre Jr. added 22 points on 53.3% shooting. The Colonels grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and finished with just 8 assists as a team.
Eastern Kentucky’s defense gave up 91 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 39% from the field on 28 of 71 attempts. Inside the arc, the Colonels allowed 51% shooting, with their opponent hitting 21 of 41 two-point shots.
From three-point range, Eastern Kentucky held their opponent to 23% shooting, as they made just 7 of 30 attempts. However, their opponent was efficient from the free-throw line, converting 17 of 19 free throws for 89%. The Colonels also gave up 16 offensive rebounds.
Can the Cardinals Live Up to the Hype at Home?
Louisville improved to 7-5 on the season with a 90-76 win over Florida State on Saturday. The Cardinals entered the game as +1 underdogs but managed to cover the spread with the victory.
Louisville led 36-34 at halftime and pulled away by scoring 54 points in the second half while allowing 42. The game’s total points of 166 went over the pre-game line of 152.5.
Louisville’s offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 90 points with a 50.9% field goal percentage and an effective field goal percentage of 65.5%. They hit 15 threes at a 51.7% rate, while shooting 82.6% from the free-throw line.
Reyne Smith led the way with 27 points, hitting 6 of 9 from deep. Jamir Watkins added 25 points, also shooting 66.7% from three. Terrence Edwards contributed 19 points and 8 assists, while Chucky Hepburn also dished out 8 assists.
Louisville’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 76 points on 52% shooting from the field. They allowed 21 of 35 shots from two-point range, a 60% conversion rate.
From beyond the arc, the Cardinals allowed 8 three-pointers on 20 attempts, a 40% success rate. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 14 times, where they made 10 free throws, shooting 71%.