It will be a battle between ACC opponents when the No. 25 Miami Hurricanes (14-4, 3-3 ACC) welcome the Louisville Cardinals (15-4, 5-1 ACC) to Watsco Center. The game can be seen on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
Miami opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 137.5 points.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Miami Hurricanes ATS Prediction
The Cardinals will be looking for a similar result after beating the Boston College Eagles in their last game, 77-69. The Cardinals made 23 of their 31 free throws (74.2 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (15.5 vs. 17.9). With 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, Deng Adel led Louisville in scoring.
In the Hurricanes’ last matchup, they beat the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 86-81. Miami’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over North Carolina State. The Hurricanes had a rate of 13.5 (better than their season average of 15.4), while the Wolfpack posted a mark of 19.0 (above their season average of 14.2). Bruce Brown led Miami in scoring with 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting.
Points could be at a premium as a pair of the NCAA’s premier defenses battle. Miami currently ranks eighth in defensive efficiency (91.5) and Louisville is 26th (94.3).
Louisville holds records of 15-4 straight up (SU) and 8-8-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Cardinals’ 17 games with betting action, seven have finished under, nine have finished over and one has pushed.
Meanwhile, Miami owns records of 14-4 SU and 7-5-1 ATS. Contrary to Louisville, just over half of Hurricanes games have finished under the total.
Adel has averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds over the last five games for Louisville.
After the Cardinals won the sole game against the Hurricanes last season, 71-66, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Cardinals’ 38.9 offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over the Hurricanes, who had a rate of 31.3.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Miami Hurricanes Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Louisville, ATS Winner – Louisville, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Louisville is 3-3 ATS on the road with 4 overs and 2 unders.
At home, Miami is 1-1 ATS with 2 overs and 0 unders.
Louisville ranks 29th in rebounds per game (39.7) while Miami ranks 143rd (35.9).
The Cardinals rank second in blocks per game (7.3) while the Hurricanes rank 65th in blocks allowed per game (3.0).
Miami averages 7.1 steals per game, which ranks 65th in the NCAA. Louisville ranks 113th in steals allowed per game (6.5).
The Cardinals allow the 14th-fewest assists per game (10.3) while the Hurricanes rank 38th (11.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Louisville is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs, 1 under and 1 push.
Miami is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Cardinals’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.8, down from 9.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hurricanes have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (2.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 74.8 points per game (11.7 above their season average).
