Louisville basketball is returning to action this afternoon as the Cardinals are taking on Boston College inside the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville is coming off a crushing loss to Duke, falling 84-73 after being up by as much as 12 in the first half and nine at the end of it. However, the Cardinals' streaky shooting and poor defense led to a disastrous second-half collapse, resulting in an 11-point loss.
Now, Louisville is going to try to snap its two-game losing streak this afternoon as they face Boston College. Louisville has an 11-8 record against the Eagles, including its 26-point win last season in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Since the Cardinals joined the ACC in 2014, Louisville has posted a 9-4 record against Boston College, including a 5-1 mark at home.
With Louisville looking for its 12th win of the season, here are the final odds and a prediction for the Cardinals' fourth conference game.
Louisville basketball vs Boston College odds
Louisville opens as the dominant favorite, with the Cardinals 21.5-point favorites against Boston College. In addition to being heavily favored by FanDuel, the Cards have a 98.4 percent chance of winning this afternoon's game, according to ESPN Analytics.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 6:30 am ET on Saturday, Jan. 10
Spread: Louisville -21.5
Moneyline: Louisville -7000
Over/Under: 149.5
Prediction
This is a great chance for Louisville to regain its shooting touch and build confidence. The Cardinals have struggled from three-point range recently, but fans can expect some fireworks from beyond the arc today. Boston College, winless in ACC play, presents Louisville with a favorable matchup after losing to Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.
Louisville will be without Mikel Brown Jr. for the sixth straight game, but many are speculating that the star guard is optimistic about returning against Virginia on Tuesday. With Louisville’s crushing collapse against Duke, it feels like Pat Kelsey is going to have this team fired up and ready to go.
With Kelsey as head coach, Louisville has been able to take care of business against the weaker teams, and with Louisville as 21.5-point favorites, the Cardinals fans should feel good heading into this matchup. The Eagles are led by their two guards, Donald Hand Jr. and Fred Payne, who average 28.7 points per game.
However, Ryan Conwell, Adrian Wooley, and Isaac McKneely are due for a dominant game, and today’s game looks like a prime opportunity. Louisville’s offense is going to bounce back from its second-half collapse against Duke and be that high-flying offense the nation saw in the first 10 games. The Cards will look to gain momentum entering their next five games, with three being against ranked teams, and will earn their second ACC win.
Prediction: Louisville 91 Boston College 73