The No. 15 Louisville Cardinals (16-5, 7-1 ACC) welcome the No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels (16-4, 6-1 ACC) in a matchup that pits great offense against exceptional defense. The game will air on ESPN at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 2, 2019.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Louisville Cardinals Free Prediction
In the Tar Heels’ last matchup, they blew out the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 77-54. The Tar Heels held the Yellow Jackets to an effective field goal percentage of 0.367 (below their season average of 0.509) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 15.8 (below their season average of 25.6). With 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting, Cameron Johnson was the game’s leading scorer.
The Cardinals easily got past the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their last matchup, 82-54. Louisville made 10 of their 24 three pointers (41.7 percent). Wake Forest, on the other hand, was just 2-20 (10.0 percent). With 17 points and 10 rebounds, Louisville’s Dwayne Sutton played well.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Louisville takes on the elite defense of North Carolina. The Cardinals rank 28th in offensive efficiency, while the Tar Heels are 50th in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Tar Heels are among the NCAA’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 28th in offensive rebounding percentage (35.2 percent). The Cardinals, meanwhile, rank 56th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.8 percent).
This will be the second game of the season between these two squads. Sutton scored a game-high 17 points in the first game, in which the Cardinals topped the Tar Heels 83-62. He also recorded 10 rebounds and seven assists. Louisville was lights out from beyond the arc (11-26; 42.3 percent). North Carolina, on the other hand, did a fantastic job of getting and making free throws (19-27; 70.4 percent).
North Carolina Tar Heels at Louisville Cardinals Free Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Louisville, ATS Winner – Louisville, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Louisville ranks 81st in three pointers allowed per game (20.9) while North Carolina ranks 234th (25.5).
The Tar Heels rank 42nd in steals per game (7.8) while the Cardinals rank 186th (5.2).
North Carolina ranks second in assists per game (19.8) while Louisville ranks 106th (14.1).
The Tar Heels rank second in rebounds per game (43.4) while the Cardinals rank 70th in rebounds allowed per game (33.0).
Louisville blocks 3.2 opponent shots per game, which ranks 109th in the NCAA. North Carolina ranks 161st in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
Bettings Trends:
The Tar Heels’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.6, down from 14.8 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 78.2 points per game (1.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.6 points per game (7.0 below their season average).
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