Louisville basketball is returning to action this evening from the KFC Yum! Center against Jackson State. The Cardinals enter this matchup 1-0 after they dominated South Carolina State in their season opener, 104-45. Louisville's defense was the star of the night as they held the Bulldogs to just 13 made field goals, and didn't allow a field goal until the 10-minute mark in the first half.
As for Jackson State, they are 0-1 after falling to No. 17 Illinois on Nov. 3, 113-55. Senior forward Devin Ree led the Tigers with 19 points on 7-for-11 field goals, while also shooting 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Louisville and Jackson State will tip off at 7 p.m. local time on ACC Network Extra. So, with the city buzzing, this elite squad returning to the floor tonight, let's break down the final odds and make some predictions.
Related: 5 encouraging observations from Louisville's big win over South Carolina State
Betting odds for Louisville vs. Jackson State
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 11 am ET on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Spread: Louisville - 37.5
Over/Under: 162.5
Predictions from The Big Red Louie team
This won't be a close one and will be similar to the Cardinals' game against South Carolina State. Expect Pat Kelsey to have his team play with the same intensity on both ends of the floor and attempt to force a lot of turnovers and ill-advised shots. The defense was the area that stood out to the fans from the Cards' first showdown, and against a lower Division I program, the Cardinals will look to send another strong message.
The nation took notice of their dominant win over the Bulldogs, and they look to do the same thing tonight. The Cardinals want to go into their matchup with Kentucky red-hot and with tons of confidence, and a dominant win tonight will do just that. Expect similar rotation from the Cardinals, with limited minutes for the team's stars. However, expect Mikel Brown Jr. to try to take over a bit more this game, but expect a blowout win and then to turn to the Kentucky Wildcats for the Nov. 11 blockbuster showdown on Tuesday.
Prediction: Louisville 107 Jackson State 62