The Louisville Cardinals will look to pad their record on Saturday afternoon when they face the Boston College Eagles. Boston College is the second-worst team in the ACC this year and the only team with an overall losing record, sitting at 9-14. Meanwhile, Louisville is still in the hunt for a conference championship with only three losses in ACC play so far. This is a game that Louisville will be expected to win handily, but Boston College has already knocked off NC State and Syracuse in Boston this season so Louisville has to be careful.
At 3 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 4, 2017, at Silvio O. Conte Forum. We will have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Cardinals have looked fantastic recently, blasting three of their last four opponents. Other than a loss to Florida State, Louisville crushed NC State, Pittsburgh, and Clemson by a combined 112 points. They are 4-0-1 ATS over their last 5 games with a win over Duke included in that total as well.
Boston College isn’t good at winning games, but the Eagles have been great at playing teams close and covering spreads. The Eagles are 2-8 SU in ACC play but 8-2 ATS in conference. They have shown signs of life in losses to North Carolina, Miami, and Virginia Tech and definitely look better than the team we saw last season.
Matchup to Watch
Louisville is one of the best rebounding teams in the country and has used its edge on the glass to win games throughout the season. More than anything else, the Cardinals rely on rebounding and solid defense and Rick Pitino’s side hopes to get just enough from a sometimes moribund offense. In their 32-point victory over the Eagles last season, the Cardinals outrebounded BC by 8 and the dominance in the paint also led to Louisville attempting 17 more free throws.
Boston College hasn’t been nearly as good on the glass, pulling down more than 5 rebounds less than Louisville per game. Over the last three games, this side has been better at pulling down boards though, and cumulatively outrebounded its last three opponents. The last team they faced that was solid on the glass though was North Carolina and the Tar Heels bested them by 12 boards.
Key Stat
If Boston College has a chance to pull off the upset on its home court, the three-point shooting is going to have to be on point. The Eagles have been one of the better teams in the nation hitting the trey, sinking 38.3 percent of their attempts on the season. Ky Bowman, AJ Turner, and Jordan Chatman have been the top shooters in this regard with each hitting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, they will be facing a Louisville defense that is even better at defending the perimeter. The Cardinals are known for their tenacious defense and the guards don’t back off of you and allow you to show unlike other teams. Opponents are converting just 28.3 percent of their three-point attempts against them on the year and can’t shoot themselves back into games because of the excellent defense from the guards.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Louisville should be a low double-digit favorite in this one and although the Cardinals have been dismantling opponents, Boston College has been pretty solid at home. The Eagles are 7-2 ATS overall on their home court and 4-1 ATS in conference play heading into this game with the lone non-cover coming against Virginia.
The Cardinals won’t be completely focused on Boston College either. Two days after this game they have to travel to Charlottesville for a pivotal bout with Virginia and as such the Cardinals will be content to get out of here with a win. Grab BC and the points.
College Basketball Odds: Louisville 72, Boston College 63
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