The Virginia Cavaliers (8-9) travel to face off against the Louisville Cardinals (13-5) on Saturday, January 18th. This game will be played at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville and televised on ESPN2. Louisville is coming off a win in their previous game, while Virginia is looking to get back on track from a loss to the SMU. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.
Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals
The Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games
Virginia fell to 8-9 on the season after a 54-52 home loss to SMU on Wednesday. The Cavaliers, who were +6 point underdogs, kept it close, losing by just two points.
Virginia trailed 27-25 at halftime and both teams scored 27 points in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 106 fell well short of the O/U line of 134.5.
The Cardinals Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Louisville improved to 13-5 on the season with an 85-61 road win over Syracuse on Tuesday. The Cardinals entered the game as -8.5 favorites and covered the spread with the 24-point victory.
Louisville took control early, leading 43-27 at halftime. They scored 42 points in the 2nd half while holding Syracuse to 34. The total points for the game were 146, falling short of the 153.5 O/U line.
Cavaliers Offense Breakdown
Virginia’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just 52 points on 34.6% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.5%, and they hit only 4 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc, shooting 15.4% from three-point range.
Boopie Miller and Chuck Harris each contributed 12 points, with Miller hitting 2 of 4 from deep, while Harris went 2 of 9. Blake Buchanan was efficient inside, shooting 5 of 7 and grabbing 15 rebounds in the game.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
Louisville’s offense put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field and hitting 42.9% of their threes, going 12-for-28 from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 59.7%, and they were perfect from the free-throw line, making all 11 attempts.
Chucky Hepburn led the way with 24 points and 7 assists, shooting 61.5% overall and 60% from three, hitting 6 of 10 attempts. Chris Bell added 18 points, connecting on 4 of 7 threes, while J’Vonne Hadley and Eddie Lampkin Jr. both grabbed 10 rebounds, with Lampkin scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Cavaliers Team Defense
Virginia’s defense was impressive, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 34% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 4 made threes on 26 attempts, a 15% success rate.
Even though their opponent shot 53% on two-pointers, Virginia’s defense sent them to the free-throw line only 15 times, where they made 12. The Cavaliers also controlled the boards, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds.
Cardinals Team Defense
Virginia’s defense was locked in, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 34% shooting from the field. They were especially effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 4 made threes on 26 attempts, a 15% shooting rate.
Even though their opponent shot 53% on two-pointers, Virginia kept them off the free-throw line, where they went 12/15. The Cavaliers also controlled the boards, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds.
Cavaliers vs Cardinals Trends
- Although Virginia has a straight up record of 0-5 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-5. The team averaged 57 points per game in these games.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Louisville has an ATS record of 5-0 while averaging 82 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
- The last three games that Virginia was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Cardinals have a strong straight up record of 5-0. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
Cavaliers vs Cardinals Prediction
For a point-spread bet in this Cardinals vs. Cardinals matchup, we’re leaning towards the Cardinals at -15.5. Although our projections show the Cardinals winning 76-70, we suggest placing your bet on the Cavaliers for the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 127.5 and our model has the Cavaliers and Cardinals finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 18, 2025 Louisville Cardinals, Virginia Cavaliers