A huge Saturday of college hoops kicks off at high noon on Saturday in what will end up being the biggest game of the year for the Louisville Cardinals against the Duke Blue Devils.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
SCHEDULING
You had to think when the announcement came down that Louisville was self-imposing a postseason ban that this was going to be the game circled on the calendar the rest of the way. These Cardinals won't know what it's like to dance, but they'll know what it's like to be on their home floor against what is perennially one of the best teams in America.
Beating Duke would be the equivalent of winning the National Championship for the Cards this year, and live bettors should expect to see that level of intensity as high as could be as a result.
It's strange to think that the Dookies could come into this game flat, but it's clear that this is the second biggest game of the week. The Blue Devils travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina on Wednesday night, and that game is clearly going to take precedent over this one.
KEY MATCHUP
It was only a week and a half ago that these teams were on the court at Cameron Indoor, a game which the Blue Devils won 72-65. We said at the time that Damion Lee and Trey Lewis were going to be the crucial players on the floor on either side, and we were right. Those two men combined to go just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc, and Lee had just 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting in the loss. With better shooting from both, Louisville would've won that game and had a gripe to be one of the Top 10 teams in the land.
Lee hasn't really played well of late, as he didn't shoot the ball well against Notre Dame either in a 71-66 loss. When he and Lewis are on their game, the Cardinals are amongst the most dangerous teams in America. When they aren't though, Louisville is certainly beatable.
We do expect the two transfers to be fired up for this game. They both came to Louisville to play in games like these and have a shot to dance for the first time in their careers. They know they won't get a chance to do the latter now, but a good showing against Duke is important for their chances of getting to play professionally too, and we expect a good 40 minutes out of both men.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
Duke didn't get a single point from its bench against Virginia last weekend, though that isn't all that much of a surprise. With Amile Jefferson very likely out for the season, Coach K really only has a use for his five starters, and he just uses his couple bench players as interchangeable parts to give some guys a breather from time to time.
Duke has still only gone 3-6 ATS in its last nine games dating back to its lull in the middle of January, but it does have four SU victories in a row after dropping four out of five.
The under is 4-1 in Duke's last five and 8-3 in its last 11.
Louisville has played five straight games under the total, and it's interesting to note that it hasn't scored 71 against anyone of any consequence in a game since the announcement came out that it was self-imposing a postseason ban.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go.
Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The showdown between the Duke Blue Devils and Louisville Cardinals will start at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at the KFC Yum! Center. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
