The Pittsburgh Panthers (8-17, 0-12 ACC), who are currently on a 12-game skid, will try to get back in the win column when they welcome the Louisville Cardinals (17-8, 7-5 ACC) to Petersen Events Center. Louisville is an 11.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 136 points. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 11, 2018.
Louisville Cardinals at Pittsburgh Panthers ATS Preview
The last time the Cardinals played, they had no trouble getting past the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 77-54. With 12 points and seven rebounds, Louisville’s Anas Mahmoud had a good outing. Louisville played a nearly perfect game. They had a turnover percentage of 13.8 (better than their season average of 14.8) and a free throw rate of 0.204 (matching their season average). Georgia Tech recorded marks of 25.2 and 0.127, respectively, for those same stats.
The Panthers are trying to rebound after their 72-48 loss to the No. 16 Clemson Tigers in their last outing. Terrell Brown was Pittsburgh’s high scorer with 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Clemson had a turnover percentage of 11.3 (better than their season average of 16.0). Pittsburgh, on the other hand, had a better free throw rate (0.152 vs. 0.102).
The ineffective offense of Pittsburgh (335th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 95.3) will face off against the stingy defense of Louisville (37th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 96.8). The Cardinals should have the edge on that side of the ball.
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Louisville games have gone over 60.9 percent of the time, while games including Pittsburgh have gone under 85.0 percent of the time. The Cardinals have the better straight up (SU) record (17-8 vs. 8-17) and a narrow edge against the spread (ATS) (12-10-1 vs. 11-9).
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to put up 128 points, which was under the projected point total of 137. The Cardinals won 77-51, covering as 18-point favorites. The Cardinals dominated every stat category in the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.5 and a turnover percentage of 12.9. For those same stats, the Panthers put up marks of 10.8 and 20.9, respectively. Quentin Snider was the games leading scorer with 19 points.
Louisville Cardinals at Pittsburgh Panthers Betting Prediction
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Louisville, ATS Winner – Louisville, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Cardinals average 6.6 blocks per game, which ranks third in the NCAA. The Panthers rank 173rd in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
- Pittsburgh averages 24.0 three pointers per game, which ranks 81st in the nation. Louisville ranks 90th in three pointers allowed per game (20.7).
- On the road, Louisville is 5-3 ATS with 6 overs and 2 unders.
- At home, Pittsburgh is 5-4 ATS with 8 unders and 1 over.
- Louisville ranks 67th in rebounds per game (37.9) while Pittsburgh ranks 266th (32.4).
- The Cardinals rank 20th in assists allowed per game (10.5) while the Panthers rank 219th (15.0).
- Louisville ranks 35th in steals per game (7.6) while Pittsburgh ranks 230th (4.7).
Betting Trends:
- Pittsburgh is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Louisville is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Panthers average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 15.2, up from 8.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 77.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 72.6 points per game (3.3 above their season average).