It will be a battle between Atlantic Coast opponents when the No. 19 Louisville Cardinals (18-4) welcome the Boston College Eagles (7-15) to KFC Yum! Center. The game starts at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and will air on EFC and ES3.
The Cardinals beat North Carolina 71-65 in their last game. Damion Lee led all scorers on the team with 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Eagles are coming off a 61-47 loss at the hands of Virginia in their last outing. Sammy Barnes-Thompkins had a team-high 14 points.
The Louisville defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks fifth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 42.7%), while the Boston College offense is 271st with a mark of 47.8%. Furthermore, the 340th-ranked offense of the Eagles (offensive efficiency of 92.0) will face a tough test against the second-ranked defense of the Cardinals (defensive efficiency of 90.0).
The Cardinals look to build on their records of 18-4 Straight Up (SU) and 9-9 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 2-6-1 ATS over their last 10 games. The Cardinals have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 79.0 points per game. The Cardinals have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 29th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 40.7 per game, while the Eagles rank 332nd in the nation with 31.8 per game. As for the Louisville defense, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Cardinals, who allow only 60.4 points per game. Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Cardinals, who allow a field goal percentage of only .375. An area where the Cardinals are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.1 blocks per game, 36th in Division I.
Across the court, the Eagles head into the game with records of 5-11-1 ATS and 7-15 SU. Boston College managed to go 7-3 SU over the last 10 games, while only going 3-7 ATS during the same amount of time. Boston College has been playing better lately, averaging 70.4 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 62.2.
This is the first meeting of the season for Louisville and Boston College. The last time they played, Louisville came out on top, moving its SU record against the Eagles to 1-0. However, Boston College leads the matchup ATS with a record of 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Lou, ATS Winner – Lou
Notes
“Louisville is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games “.
“Louisville is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“Louisville is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisville’s last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston College’s last 7 games on the road”.
Louisville averages 79.0 points per game (ranked 48th). Boston College, on the other hand, allows 69.1 points per game (ranked 104th).
Louisville scores 80.8 points per home game (ranked 71st). Boston College ranks a poor 142nd in points allowed on the road, allowing 74.9 points.
Ranked 11th, the Louisville Cardinals have an offensive rating of 117.5. The Boston College Eagles rank 168th with a defensive rating of just 102.7.
The Boston College Eagles average 67.6 possessions per game and .920 points per possession. The Louisville Cardinals earn fewer possessions with 67.2, but they score more points with 1.175.
The Louisville Cardinals average an effective field goal percentage of 53.3% this season. The Boston College Eagles are a winless 0-6 when opponents have an eFG% of 53.3% or greater.
On average, the Louisville Cardinals attempt 16.0 three point field goals per game and the Boston College Eagles attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 three pointers, Louisville has a winning record of 4-1, while Boston College has a poor record of 4-8.
Louisville, the 29th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 40.7 rebounds per game. Boston College does worse, ranked 332nd with 31.8.
The Boston College Eagles make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the Louisville Cardinals give up 5 or more steals, they are an exceptional 10-3.
