Louisville basketball is in its holiday break after it defeated Montana 94-54. Louisville is officially in conference play and will take on Cal on Dec. 30. During its nonconference schedule, Louisville went 10-2, including impressive wins over Kentucky and Indiana, but its two losses came on the road against SEC-ranked teams. The most recent loss came against Tennessee last Tuesday, and the Cards lost by 21.
Just now, the latest AP Polls were released, and while the Cardinals are still ranked in the top 25, they reached the lowest seed in the 2025-26 season. Their loss to Tennessee also affected their odds for the NCAA Tournament Title, as they declined.
Louisville drops in the latest AP rankings and NCAA Title odds
Louisville's loss to Tennessee was a frustrating one for the fans and the program, as the Cards had hoped for a big-time win over an SEC giant after losing to Arkansas. However, Louisville was without Mikel Brown Jr. in its showdown with Tennessee and couldn't pull off the road win. So, with the Cards' 21-point loss to the Vols, Louisville dropped again in the AP Polls to No. 16, the lowest they have been all season.
NEW: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/zSJvye0x26 pic.twitter.com/nCarhoW6OU
— On3 (@On3sports) December 22, 2025
The Cards' No. 16 ranking is now the third-highest in the ACC in the AP Polls, as North Carolina jumped Louisville for the first time this season. UNC moved up to No. 12 nationally, and the Duke Blue Devils remain the top-ranked ACC team at No. 6.
As for the Cards' odds, they started at +2000, dropped to +2500 after their loss to Arkansas, and dropped once again after their loss to Tennessee. Louisville now has +3000 odds to win the 2026 NCAA Title, which ranks 11th nationally and second in the ACC, according to FanDuel.
Michigan now has the highest odds in the nation to win the National Title at +440, followed by Arizona at +900. Duke has the best odds to win the Title out of the ACC at +1200, and UNC is behind Louisville at +3500.
Louisville will be off for the next eight days and will return to the court against Cal on Dec. 30. For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.