Louisville Cardinals vs Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/14/24
The Cardinals and Wildcats are set to face off at 5:15 ET on ESPN. The Wildcats will host the game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. The over/under for this game is set at 159.5 points, and Kentucky is favored by -10.5 against Louisville in a non-conference matchup.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS VS KENTUCKY WILDCATS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Louisville Cardinals +10.5
This game will be played at Rupp Arena at 5:15 ET on Saturday, December 14th.
WHY BET THE LOUISVILLE CARDINALS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-73 in favor of the Wildcats.
- Even though we have Kentucky winning straight-up, we like Louisville at +10.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 159.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Can The Cardinals Secure a Win at Lexington?
Louisville improved to 6-4 on the season with a 77-74 win over UTEP on Wednesday. Despite being heavy favorites at -14.5, the Cardinals didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 151, going over the 144.5 O/U line.
Louisville trailed 36-32 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring UTEP 45-38.
Louisville’s offense put up 77 points in their last game, shooting 39.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.8%, with a strong 70.8% shooting on two-pointers. However, they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 6 of 34 attempts for 17.6%.
The Cardinals grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and made 25 of 34 free throws, shooting 73.5% from the line. Terrence Edwards Jr. led the team with 22 points, while Corey Camper Jr. added 19 points, hitting 2 of 3 from deep. Ahamad Bynum was 4 of 5 from three-point range, finishing with 14 points in just 15 minutes.
Louisville’s defense gave up 74 points in their last game, allowing the opposing team to shoot 39% from the field on 23 of 58 attempts. Inside the arc, the Cardinals struggled, with the opponent hitting 70% of their two-point shots, going 17 for 24.
From three-point range, Louisville held the other team to just 17% shooting, as they made 6 of 34 attempts. The Cardinals also sent them to the free-throw line 34 times, where they converted 25 for 73%. Louisville allowed 16 offensive rebounds in the game.
Can the Wildcats Offense Score Enough at Home?
Kentucky improved to 9-1 on the season with a 78-67 win over Colgate on Wednesday. Despite being heavy favorites at home, the Wildcats didn’t cover the spread, as they were listed as -32 point favorites.
Kentucky led 38-36 at halftime and outscored Colgate 40-31 in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 145 fell short of the 155.5 O/U line.
Kentucky put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 42.9% from the field. They connected on 10 of 31 three-point attempts, hitting 32.3% from deep, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 50%.
The Wildcats grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists. Koby Brea and Parker Jones each scored 17 points, with Brea hitting 5 of 8 from three-point range, while Jones shot 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Despite Kentucky’s defense allowing 67 points, they held their opponent to 42% shooting from the field, with 30 made baskets on 70 attempts. Inside the arc, the Wildcats gave up 20 two-point field goals on 39 attempts, resulting in a 51% shooting percentage.
From three-point range, Kentucky’s defense allowed 10 made threes on 31 attempts, with their opponent shooting 32%. At the free-throw line, the Wildcats sent their opponent to the line 13 times, where they made 8 free throws, shooting 61%. Kentucky also allowed 16 offensive rebounds.