Louisville basketball improved to 8-1 on Saturday after an impressive win over the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers. The Cardinals showed their true colors Saturday as the whole team stepped up and played aggressively, and played like they wanted to make a statement.
The Cards had high expectations entering the season, with one of the highest odds to win the ACC crown and the National Title, and after one month of college basketball, it is clear their biggest challenge in the ACC will be the Duke Blue Devils.
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Duke's dominant three game stretch sets the stage for January
The Blue Devils stayed undefeated after their win over Michigan State over this past weekend and now improve to 10-0 on the season. Entering the season, it was clear many thought the ACC would be a two-way race for the ACC Title, and through the first month of basketball, it has been just that.
Louisville, of course, still has a lot of basketball to worry about before it plays the Blue Devils, but Jon Scheyer has this young team playing some of the best basketball in the nation. After Duke took down the Spartans on Saturday, it became their fourth win over an AP top 25 team this year, and it was their third consecutive game against a top 25 team.
The Blue Devils went on to beat Arkansas, Florida, and now Michigan State, dominating their challenging non-conference schedule. The Blue Devils look like the real deal, and their 2025 recruiting class, which ranked No. 1 in the nation, is led by a future lottery pick in the NBA Draft, Cameron Boozer.
Duke has the No. 1 strength of record, and so far, their odds to win the ACC Title have increased from +155 to +115. However, Louisville's strength of record ranks No. 16 in the nation, as the Cardinals defeated two top-25 teams in Indiana and Kentucky, and despite losing to Arkansas, the Cards' ACC Title odds have also increased.
Louisville started the season with +210 odds to win the crown and now sits at +200. The Cards and Blue Devils have both been led by newcomers and 5-star freshmen, and while Louisville has an old rivalry returning to KFC Yum! Center Dec. 13 and traveling to Knoxville to face Tennessee Dec. 16, it is worth noting that those two Duke games will be massive for that ACC crown.
This was a crucial four-game stretch for Louisville, and they are only halfway through it, but the biggest games on their schedule are January 6 and January 26, when they play the Blue Devils. After one month of basketball, Duke set the stage for those two games, and the Cardinals fans know they have to try to win at least one of those games if they want that ACC Title.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.