It will be a battle between Atlantic Coast opponents when the No. 17 Louisville Cardinals (14-3) welcome the Florida State Seminoles (12-5) to KFC Yum! Center. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Cardinals easily got past Pittsburgh 59-41 in their last game. Damion Lee played well, contributing 18 points, five rebounds, and four steals for the Cardinals. The Seminoles, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-62 win over Virginia in their last outing. Dwayne Bacon led the team in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
It will be a tale of two tempos, as the fast-breaking Seminoles (ranked 27th in the nation in possessions per game) take on the slow-paced Cardinals (299th).
Louisville is a considerable 10-point favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at 140 points. The Cardinals are attempting to build on their records of 14-3 Straight Up (SU) and 7-6 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cardinals have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 80.5 points per game. Louisville is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 15.1 offensive rebounds per game. Turning to the defensive side, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Cardinals, who allow a Division I-low field goal percentage of only .357.
On the other side, Florida State has a SU record of 12-5 and an ATS record of 7-6.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Louisville and Florida State played, Louisville won, bringing its SU record to 1-0 over the Seminoles. The Cardinals also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Lou, ATS Winner – Lou, O/U – Under
Notes
Louisville is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games.
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Louisville averages 80.5 points per game (ranked 40th). Florida State, on the other hand, allows 72.9 points per game (ranked 210th).
Louisville scores 83.8 points per home game (ranked 56th). Florida State ranks a poor 175th in points allowed on the road, allowing 75.0 points.
Louisville won its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Florida State is 3-0. Louisville is 12-0 in blowouts this season.
The Louisville Cardinals have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 86.1. The Florida State Seminoles have an offensive rating of 108.3 (ranked 115th).
Louisville is ranked 16th in the country with an average field goal percentage of 49.3%. Florida State is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Louisville Cardinals and the Florida State Seminoles both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Louisville is 38th and 16th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Florida State ranks 123rd and 82nd in these categories.
Louisville, the 23rd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.4 per game. Florida State ranks lower at 123rd with 3.9.
Louisville is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking eighth. Florida State ranks 82nd in defensive rebounds.
The Florida State Seminoles make an average of 7.4 steals per game. When the Louisville Cardinals give up 7 or more steals, they are a winning 4-2.
