The Kennesaw State Owls (3-8) will have a tough time bringing their six-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the No. 19-ranked Louisville Cardinals (7-1), who have won seven in a row at home. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 16 and can be seen on ESU and ES3.
The Cardinals enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Eastern Michigan 86-53 on Saturday. Raymond Spalding was a key piece with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. The Owls, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-59 win against Thomas University on Monday. Kendrick Ray claimed his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Ray has been hot for the Owls, averaging 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers over the past five games.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Louisville, a big 34-point favorite, takes on Kennesaw State. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 136 points. Still undefeated Against The Spread (4-0 ATS), the Cardinals will be looking to extend the streak. The Cardinals have no trouble scoring as they rank 16th in the nation in offense with 86.0 points per game. The rebounding edge goes to the Cardinals in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 44.4 boards per game. Louisville is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.40. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Louisville’s stingy defense. The Cardinals are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 55.4 points per game. The Cardinals have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking second in the country with a .339 opponent field-goal percentage. Louisville’s defenders rank 31st in Division I in steals with 8.5 per game.
In the other locker room, the Owls have 3-8 SU and 2-2 ATS records. The Kennesaw State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .299 shooting from three-point range.
Louisville and Kennesaw State will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Lou, ATS Winner – Lou, O/U – Under
Notes
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Kennesaw State averages 63.9 points per game, placing the team just 329th in the nation. Louisville ranks second in points allowed, giving up 55.4 points per game.
Kennesaw State scores just 66.3 points per away game (ranked 223rd). Louisville ranks 11th in points allowed at home, giving up 53.1 points.
Ranked second, the Louisville Cardinals have an offensive rating of 127.9. The Kennesaw State Owls, on the other hand, rank 256th with a defensive rating of 106.1.
The Kennesaw State Owls average 72.2 possessions per game and .885 points per possession. The Louisville Cardinals earn fewer possessions with 67.2, but they score more points with 1.279.
The Louisville Cardinals have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 23rd in the country with an eFG% of 56.6%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Kennesaw State Owls are winless with a 0-2 record.
Louisville attempts an average of 17.0 three pointers per game and Kennesaw State attempts 15.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Louisville Cardinals are undefeated at 2-0 while the Kennesaw State Owls are winless at 0-1.
Louisville ranks 44th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.40. Kennesaw State is ranked lower at 342nd with an A/TO of .63.
The Louisville Cardinals are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 44.4 per game (ranked 10th). The Kennesaw State Owls are outside the top 100 with 35.2 rebounds per game (ranked 257th).
Kennesaw State ranks 217th in offensive rebounds, while Louisville ranks at 55th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 19.0% when playing Kennesaw State this season. Louisville is undefeated this season (1-0) when its TO% is 19.0% or higher.
