Louisville basketball is taking on the Clemson Tigers this afternoon in a crucial ACC showdown. The Cards have lost two of their last three, while Clemson has lost their last four games. The Cards and Tigers have a lot to play for, as both are 20-8 on the season, but with the regular season coming to an end soon, these two are battling for the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament.
As of now, Louisville sits just a game back from the 4-seed, with North Carolina State in 4th place. Between NC State and Louisville are North Carolina and Clemson, which means if the Cardinals want to keep their hopes alive for the coveted double-bye, they need a marquee road win.
While Louisville has struggled on the road this year against good teams, Vegas oddsmakers are sending a strong message that the Cardinals are due for their biggest road win of the season.
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Louisville basketball gets Clemson at the perfect time
The Cardinals are 1.5-point favorites on the road, according to FanDuel. It appears Louisville is getting Clemson at the perfect time, as the Tigers have suddenly lost four straight, making the Cardinals road favorites in this massive ACC showdown.
ESPN Analytics also favors the Cardinals, giving Louisville a 58.1 percent chance of winning. The Cardinals are 3-6 on the road this year, including a 1-6 record against teams with a record better than .500.
The Cards being favored says a lot about where this Clemson is at. The Tigers were once ranked as high as No. 18 in the nation and were in second place in the ACC standings, but with this February collapse, they are now a home underdog to the Cardinals.
Clemson’s four-game losing streak isn’t necessarily to the top of the conference, as they did lose to Duke, but they also lost to Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Florida State. With Louisville in dire need of a win this afternoon to boost its resume and climb the ACC standings and NCAA Tournament seedings, the Vegas oddsmakers' favoring of Louisville confirms this is the perfect opportunity for Louisville to earn its biggest road win of the season.