The second-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (27-2, 15-2 ACC) welcome the Louisville Cardinals (19-11, 10-7 ACC) to John Paul Jones Arena as the regular season comes to a conclusion. Action begins at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 9, 2019, and can be seen on ESPN.
Louisville Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers Betting Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Cavaliers dismantled the Syracuse Orange 79-53, while the Cardinals beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 75-61.
Louisville played a nearly flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.206 (matching their season average) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 34.3 (above their season average of 28.9). Notre Dame was 0.065 and 15.9, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Virginia’s 0.725 effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over Syracuse, who had a rate of 0.404. The Cavaliers’ mark was above their season average of 0.554, while the Orange’s was below their season average of 0.495. Ty Jerome played a pivotal role for Virginia with 16 points and 14 assists. Louisville received a boost from Jordan Nwora, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds.
In their first matchup this year, De’Andre Hunter led the Cavaliers to a 64-52 victory. He scored a game-high 26 points. Making free throws was one of Virginia’s largest advantages. They were 10-10 (100.0 percent), while the Cardinals were just 6-8 (75.0 percent).
This battle pits one of the country’s top offenses against one of its elite defensesVirginia ranks 18th in effective field goal percentage (0.560), while Louisville is 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.467). Also, the Cardinals are among the NCAA’s best at getting to the line, ranking 27th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.283). The Cavaliers, however, rank 15th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.174).
Louisville Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers Pick
Basketball Tip: SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Virginia, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Louisville ranks 45th in rebounds per game (37.9) while Virginia ranks 155th (35.3).
- The Cardinals rank 72nd in three pointers attempted per game (24.8) while the Cavaliers rank 112th in three pointers allowed per game (21.5).
- Virginia ranks 42nd in steals allowed per game (5.4) while Louisville ranks 81st (5.9).
- The Cavaliers rank 44th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Cardinals rank 113th (3.4).
- Virginia allows the fewest assists per game (8.9) while Louisville ranks 52nd (11.6).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 58.2 points per game (16.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.0 points per game (4.6 below their season average).
- The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 19.6, up from 18.0 for the season.
