Louisville basketball will return to action since its first loss of the season tomorrow afternoon against the Indiana Hoosiers. Both teams are entering this matchup 7-1 after their first loss, as Louisville fell to Arkansas and Indiana fell on the road to Minnesota.
The Cardinals and the Hoosiers are both ranked in the AP Top 25, with the Cards at No. 6 and the Hoosiers at No. 22. With both coming off losses, this game has quickly become a massive showdown in December, as the Gainbridge Fieldhouse is already sold out on Friday afternoon.
Kelsey and the Cardinals have a huge opportunity to face adversity and win on the road against a top Big 10 program. Louisville looks to boost its resume this weekend, and when fans look to ESPN Analytics, they will see the Cards are heavy favorites despite being on the road.
ESPN Analytics and early odds favors Louisville heading into Indiana
ESPN Analytics let Louisville fans down against Arkansas, as the Cards had a 74.5 percent chance of winning. Louisville enters this game with a 68.5 percent chance of winning, and while fans may see it as less than Arkansas, the Cards are also favored in early FanDuel odds.
Louisville opens up as a 5.5-point favorite on Friday for the Saturday showdown. The Cards will look to bounce back from their loss, and Kelsey made it clear that for that to happen, they can't foul as much and have to rebound better. The Cards' fans knew entering the season they were going to run a small-ball lineup with three guards and J'Vonne Hadley at power forward. And now, after being rebounded by the Razorbacks, it is becoming a focal point moving forward that the guards have to help rebound.
These two teams have met 22 times, with the Cardinals holding a 10-12 record. They played the last two seasons, with the Cards dominating the previous year, 89-61, and Indiana winning the year prior, 74-66. They are 5-5 in the last 10 matches, but Louisville has won five of the last seven.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.