December is here, and college basketball is in full swing. College basketball has had some fun matchups so far in its first month of action, but the month of December is expected to have even more thrilling games. Louisville basketball's December is expected to have one of the toughest months in the nation, as the Cards are scheduled to play three ranked teams on the road.
Louisville has shown they are back and better than ever as they rank No. 6 in the nation, but now their season-defining 11-day stretch is here, and it all starts Wednesday against Arkansas. The Cards are traveling to Fayetteville to face the No. 25 Arkansas Razorbacks on their home court in a massive ACC/SEC showdown.
ESPN recently updated its analytics for the game, and it shows that, despite this being a top-25 road game against John Calipari, the Cards have a strong chance of winning.
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ESPN Analytics gives Louisville basketball fans some good news
Louisville's showdown with Arkansas is the first game of this challenging 11-day stretch. The Cards will face the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena this Wednesday night, and ESPN Analytics gives Louisville a commanding 74.5 percent chance of winning.
Arkansas is coming off an 80-71 loss to Duke, giving Louisville an early chance to prove its worth. Currently, Duke has the best odds to win the ACC, but if the Cards can dominate this game as they did against Kentucky, it would send a message to Duke that they are coming for the ACC crown.
Louisville's Wednesday night showdown is a huge opportunity for these Cardinals, and it would be massive to start this stretch with a win and not a loss. A win on the road in a tough environment against a Hall of Fame coach and a ranked SEC team would be a huge resume boost, and that is exactly why Kelsey scheduled this game.
So, Louisville getting a dominant 74.5 percent chance of winning this game from ESPN gives the fans a bit of a sigh of relief before the game, but now Mikel Brown Jr. and company have to get the job done on the court.