The Louisville Cardinals take on the UC Irvine Anteaters today in the NCAA Tournament Second Round in the East Region. The game is scheduled for a 4:10 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on TBS. Currently the College Basketball Betting Odds for the game have the Cardinals favored by single digits in what could be a nice game.
Louisville being favored by single digits over Irvine is either a gift to those looking to get down on the Cardinals or this is going to be a close one.
The Cardinals haven’t been the same team since Chris Jones was booted for improper conduct going just 3-2 down the stretch but his ability to score points has been missed. Louisville wasn’t a team that went out and scored a ton of points anyway, ranking 102nd nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, but the defense is very good. They almost have the Virginia-feel to them, being a team that is dominating on the defensive end while struggling to consistently score points.
Irvine doesn’t rank highly efficient on either side of the court, which is why the line on this just stinks. The Anteaters have the tallest player in the tournament in Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-foot-6-inch dominant force from Senegal. Ndiaye has been banged up this year at times and only played 19 games, which has to be beneficial to his body, which can surely take a lot of punishment.
Louisville has the type of front line to beat up on Ndiaye with Montrezl Harrell and Chinanu Onuaku. The duo have helped get the Cardinals to this point and could be a force tonight if they can get Ndiaye into foul trouble.
The Cardinals have the more talented team in this one, but with the way the tournament has gone so far, expect this one to be close. Louisville shooting the ball from the perimeter could play a major role as well. The Cards connect on just 30.4 percent of their shots from downtown, which ranks 315th in the country. If they fall behind in the game and have to shoot themselves back, it will certainly be tough.
Free Pick: Louisville 63, UC Irvine 58
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