The No. 16 Louisville Cardinals (17-7, 8-3 ACC) welcome the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (21-2, 9-1 ACC) in a matchup that pits phenomenal offense against superb defense. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, and will air on ESPN.
Duke Blue Devils vs. Louisville Cardinals Betting Prediction
In the Blue Devils’ last game, they defeated the No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers, 81-71. Duke’s free throw rate was their largest advantage over Virginia. The Blue Devils had a rate of 0.356 (above their season average of 0.234), while the Cavaliers posted a mark of 0.083 (below their season average of 0.233). With 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, R.J. Barrett was the game’s leading scorer.
The Cardinals were beaten by the No. 22 Florida State Seminoles in their last matchup, 80-75. Florida State’s 9.4 turnover percentage was the team’s largest advantage over Louisville, who had a mark of 28.0. The Seminoles’ mark was better than their season average of 17.5, while the Cardinals’ was above their season average of 15.6. With 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting, Christen Cunningham was Louisville’s leading scorer.
The game should be a showdown of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Louisville (43rd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 112.8) takes on the top-notch defense of Duke (fifth in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 89.0).
After the Blue Devils won the lone game against the Cardinals last season, 82-56, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Blue Devils made 15 of their 16 free throws (93.8 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (37.5 vs. 23.8).
Duke Blue Devils at Louisville Cardinals Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Louisville, ATS Winner – Louisville, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Duke ranks third in steals per game (10.5) while Louisville ranks 209th (4.9).
The Blue Devils rank first in blocks per game (7.4) while the Cardinals rank 130th (3.0).
Duke ranks 17th in assists per game (16.9) while Louisville ranks 108th (14.0).
The Cardinals average 37.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 72nd in the country. The Blue Devils rank 162nd in rebounds allowed per game (35.2).
Louisville ranks 87th in three pointers attempted per game (24.6) while Duke ranks 103rd in three pointers allowed per game (21.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Blue Devils’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.0, down from 21.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 72.8 points per game (5.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.6 points per game (2.9 below their season average).
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