Louisville basketball is taking on the SMU Mustangs in a crucial road game this evening inside the Moody Coliseum. The Cardinals enter this showdown on a five-game win streak, with four wins by double digits, including the Cardinals' 88-74 win on Jan. 31.
These two programs met less than a month ago, as the Cardinals went down by as much as 12 points in the first half, but thanks to Mikel Brown Jr. and Khani Rooths, the Cardinals were able to overcome the early deficit and earn that marquee win, which started that streak. Now, they will face each other again, but this time in Dallas, with Louisville trying to keep this streak alive and the Cards trying to climb up the ACC standings.
Louisville enters the game 19-6 overall and 8-4 in ACC play, while SMU is right behind the Cards at 17-9 overall and 6-6 in ACC games. A lot to play for tonight as March inches closer and closer, so let’s break down the final odds and make a prediction.
Louisville basketball vs SMU odds
The Cardinals enter this game as the favorite in FanDuel and ESPN Analytics eyes. FanDuel has the Cardinals as 4.5-point favorites with the moneyline odds at -196 in favor of the Cardinals. While ESPN Matchup Predictor favors the Cardinals with a 66.6 percent chance of winning tonight, SMU has just a 33.4 percent chance.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 6:30 am ET on Saturday, Feb. 17
Spread: Louisville -4.5
Moneyline: Louisville -196, SMU +162
Over/Under:Â 166.5
Prediction
The Cardinals have a lot to play for tonight, as Selection Sunday is under four weeks away. They are trying to climb the ACC standings and earn a higher seed.  Louisville’s five-game win streak has been impressive to say the least, but now tonight’s game marks the first of four challenging road games remaining.
Louisville’s offense has been firing on all cylinders  and is a key reason this group is red hot at the moment. Nobody seems to have answers for Mikel Brown Jr., and if the true freshman can get help from Khani Rooths and Ryan Conwell, then this team is going to pick up another win over SMU.
Expect the Mustangs to play with a lot of energy and emotion as they try not to get swept by the Cardinals and fight for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, this Cardinals team is too hot at the moment, and they win their sixth straight game and their second win over SMU, thanks to Brown, who will splash four or more 3-pointers, and Conwell, who finishes with 20 points or more. The backcourt duo shows again tonight with some help from Rooths and Sananda Fru, and this team secures a close road win.
Prediction: Louisville 85 SMU 79