Louisville basketball vs. Kentucky basketball is back once again, and it could not come at a better time. The Cardinals are back on top of the college basketball world and are ready to make a statement against their rival. It will be a showdown between the No. 9 and No. 12-ranked teams in the nation.
Both teams enter the game with 2-0 records, having achieved dominant victories over their opponents. This matchup could set up the winner for the rest of the season and give them momentum moving forward. Each team has title aspirations, and even though this game is early in the season, it could propel them into title contention overnight.
Louisville vs Kentucky odds
The Cardinals started as 3.5-point favorites, but the odds changed overnight, with Louisville now a 4.5-point favorite as of Tuesday, November 11, at 5:30 a.m. Louisville looks to snap a three-game losing streak, and ESPN Analytics certainly believes it will happen, as they give Louisville a 72.7 percent chance of winning this game tonight.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel, and as of 6am ET on Monday, Nov. 10.
Spread: Louisville -4.5
Moneyline: Louisville -205 Kentucky+168
Over/Under: 175.5
How to watch Kentucky vs Louisville basketball
Louisville and Kentucky will tip off Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. local time at the KFC Yum! Center. The highly anticipated matchup will air on ESPN.
Series History
This rivalry has a historic series history, just not in the Cardinals’ favor. They have lost three in a row, are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings, and 17-40 all-time. So it is safe to say the rivalry has not been on the side of Louisville basketball, but a step in the right direction could start tonight.
Prediction
This game is expected to be a low-scoring affair, and it will likely be a physical one. There is no love lost between these two programs, and it will be a battle. These two teams may start a little slowly and tentatively due to the importance of the game, so scoring may be at a premium in the first half.
The past two games have been against inferior opponents for Louisville basketball; now it is for real. This is the game that Mikel Brown Jr. puts the nation on notice. No more training wheels, no more easing him into the offense, no more winning the game in the first half. It will take a complete performance to secure this win for the Cards. All eyes will be on this game, and Brown will show just how talented he is.
Brown has been good to start the year, but fans are waiting for that one game you can look back on and say, he is one of the best to ever commit to Louisville. What better way to make that statement than in your first game against Kentucky as a freshman? It should be an electric game, folks.
Prediction: Louisville 78 Kentucky 74
What's next for Louisville
Louisville will host Ohio on Nov. 15 at the KFC Yum! Center in its fourth game of the regular season.