Offense meets defense when the Louisville Cardinals (10-4, 1-0 ACC) travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers (10-4, 0-1 ACC). The game will air on ACC Network at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Panthers ATS Prediction
The Cardinals come in on a high note after defeating the Nicholls Colonels in their last contest, 85-72. One of Louisville’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They had 55 free throw attempts, while Nicholls had just 16. With 15 points on 3-for-4 shooting, Steven Enoch was Louisville’s leading scorer.
In the Panthers’ previous outing, they defeated the Youngstown State Penguins, 69-53. The Panthers had a much better free throw rate (0.236 vs. 0.134) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.509 vs. 0.328). With 16 points, six assists and five rebounds, Xavier Johnson put together a good outing for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh should have the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. The Panthers rank 13th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.434), while Louisville is 136th in effective field goal percentage (0.526). Furthermore, the Cardinals are among the country’s elite at getting to the line, ranking second in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.363). The Panthers, meanwhile, rank 58th at keeping opponents off the charity stripe with an opponents’ FTA rate of 0.192.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Jordan Nwora (0 points) has been great for the Cardinals while Johnson (0 points) has made solid contributions to the Panthers.
After the Cardinals won both matchups against the Panthers last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, Louisville won 94-60. The Cardinals had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.722 vs. 0.405) and had a much better turnover percentage (11.2 vs. 16.4).
Louisville Cardinals at Pittsburgh Panthers Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Pittsburgh, ATS Winner – Pittsburgh, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Louisville ranks 81st in rebounds per game (37.9) while Pittsburgh ranks 182nd in rebounds allowed per game (36.7).
The Cardinals rank 42nd in steals allowed per game (5.4) while the Panthers rank 130th (7.1).
Louisville ranks 94th in blocks per game (3.4) while Pittsburgh ranks 158th in blocks allowed per game (5.0).
The Cardinals average 23.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 113th in the nation. The Panthers rank 166th in three pointers allowed per game (23.5).
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The Cardinals’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.4, up from 10.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Panthers have scored an average of 83.0 points per game (6.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.0 points per game (0.1 above their season average).
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