The Kentucky Wildcats are riding high after a recent win over fellow college basketball power North Carolina, but has no time to celebrate. Next up for Kentucky is another big-time matchup against the Louisville Cardinals in a rivalry showdown.
Both teams are ranked nationally. Kentucky seems to be a touch more talented this year but the Cardinals play at home, so this will be a truly intriguing showdown. Both of these teams could be in the mix for one of the top seeds in March Madness so it’s a pivotal showdown.
At 1 p.m. ET, tune into CBS for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, at the KFC Yum! Center.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Wednesday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Louisville is 10-1 straight up and 7-2 against the spread on the season. The Cardinals have played six games at home on the year and have covered in every single one. Louisville is 6-2 against the spread as the favorite and 1-0 as the underdog. It’s undetermined whether the team will be favored against Kentucky.
The Wildcats are 10-1 overall and 8-3 against the spread. They have yet to play a true road game this year but have covered in three of four attempts in neutral site environments. However, this will be a pro-Louisville crowd, which could be a challenge.
Revenge Angle
Louisville is off to a strong start this season at 10-1, but the team’s record against rival Kentucky in recent years isn’t quite so pretty. The Wildcats have won eight of the last ten meetings between the two programs with the Cardinals last win coming in 2012.
In the most recent meeting last December, Kentucky won 75-73, marking the fourth straight victory for the Wildcats. Kentucky leads the series 34-15 overall, but Louisville will look to break the streak this week.
Key Stat
95.2. That’s how many points Kentucky’s offense is averaging a game right now. The Wildcats rank No. 3 in the country for points per game and are putting up 16.7 points more per contest than Louisville .
The Wildcats scored 103 in their narrow win against No. 7 North Carolina on December 17th, marking their fourth game this season where the team has scored 100 or more. The team scored a season-high 115 points against Arizona State on November 28th .
Kentucky is being led by star guard Malik Monk. who put up a ridiculous 47 points in the win over North Carolina. He is averaging 21.9 points per contest while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three-point range.
Kentucky is stacked with elite players but Monk seems to be a cut above the rest.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Louisville is holding opponents to under 60 points per game on the season but will have its hands full against Kentucky and Monk.
The Cardinals are going to need to play well offensively to keep up. They are being led by Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. Quentin Snider is the other player on the team averaging in double figures but not shooting well and has to pick it up.
Louisville has won five straight on the season and its only loss came at the hands of Baylor. The Cardinals have the talent to win this game and are at home, so there is certainly the possibility of emerging victorious.
However, Kentucky is beginning to jell as a team and has the more talented roster. Expect another big game from Monk to help the Wildcats come away with a tough road win to head into conference play feeling confident.
College Basketball Odds: Kentucky 81, Louisville 76
BookMaker.eu 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.eu!
