One of the best rivalries in college basketball takes center stage Thursday night in Louisville. While the Cardinals are considerable underdogs against Kentucky, this is often a matchup where you can throw rankings out the window.
Kentucky holds the all-time series lead 38-17 and has won four of the last five. The two rivals have split the last two matchups, with the Wildcats winning last season and the Cardinals winning in 2020. Looking at this year's teams, Kentucky is 8-2 overall and 6-4 against the spread. Louisville is 5-6 overall and 5-6 against the spread.
Here is the latest betting news, live odds and props for Kentucky vs. Louisville, plus a betting prediction for the in-state rivalry matchup.
Live odds for Kentucky vs. Louisville
Check out the spread, moneyline and total points live odds for Kentucky vs. Louisville at the top sportsbook apps.
More: Best College Basketball Betting Sites & Apps 2023 | College Basketball Odds: NCAAB Betting Lines, Spreads and Futures
Kentucky Wildcats betting news
Kentucky has had some hiccups during an otherwise promising season. Their five-point loss to Kansas early in the season was acceptable, as the Jayhawks are a top team in the nation. But falling to UNC-Wilmington was a bitter disappointment and showed that some of the young Wildcats still have some growing up to do.
Kentucky did bounce back strong from the upset loss to win their last two games, including a big win over North Carolina. The win over the Tar Heels was the Wildcats' second win over a top-10 opponent. When Kentucky is at their best they can beat anyone, but because of their youth they may have a lower floor on nights when they don't play their best.
Kentucky ranks 15th on Kenpom for adjusted offensive efficiency and 46th for adjusted defensive efficiency. This bodes well for the Wildcats' season-long hopes, as John Calipari squads are often further ahead on the defensive side early in the season, and the offense has to catch up. That is not the case this year, and with Calipari we know the defense will be one of the nation's best by the end of the season.
The offense has been strong because of the balanced scoring distribution, with six players averaging double figures and a seventh at 9.6 PPG — Kentucky gets scoring from everyone in the rotation. Even with the scoring spread among so many players leading scorer Antonio Reeves (17.1 PPG) is the go-to guy. Expect him to have a big game against Louisville to set the tone for some of the younger Kentucky players.
Louisville Cardinals betting news
Louisville's program is still working to return from the NCAA sanctions that saw the program vacate seasons' worth of wins and a national championship. It has been a challenging past few seasons, and the Cardinals still have a ways to go to get back to the program standard of competing on the national stage.
Even though the Cardinals will struggle to make the NCAA Tournament this season, much less compete for a conference championship or any title, their game against Kentucky is crucial. The program is in the middle of a complete rebuild, and a win against their in-state rival can help accelerate that process.
Looking at their schedule this season, the Cardinals may be turning the corner at the right time. Five of their six losses were by 10 or less, and several were against really good competition like Texas, Indiana and Virginia Tech. The Cardinals' most recent game was their best performance of the season.
Not only did they defeat Pepperdine, but they won by 22 points as only one-point favorites. If they play the same way against Kentucky, they may scare their rivals. Brandon Huntley-Hatfield had a big game against Pepperdine, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for a double-double.
If he can have that type of performance against Kentucky and leading scorer Sky Clark can have a big game, this contest will stay close. Clark is very up and down, with a season-high of 29 points but a low of six points. The Cardinals are outmatched and need players to be at their season highs to have a chance.
Kentucky vs. Louisville team props bets at FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook has some great value team props for the in-state rivalry matchup between Kentucky and Louisville tonight.
- First-half spread: Kentucky -8 (+100) / tie (+1400) / +8 (-105)
- First-half total: 74 points OVER (-110) / exactly (+1600) / UNDER (-110)
- Kentucky scoring totals:
- 77.5 points OVER (-350) / UNDER (+240)
- 79.5 points OVER (-260) / UNDER (+185)
- 81.5 points OVER (-190) / UNDER (+140)
- 87.5 points OVER (+125) / UNDER (-175)
- 89.5 points OVER (+170) / UNDER (-240)
- 91.5 points OVER (+225) / UNDER (-330)
- Louisville scoring totals:
- 64.5 points OVER (-375) / UNDER (+250)
- 66.5 points OVER (-260) / UNDER (+185)
- 68.5 points OVER (-190) / UNDER (+140)
- 74.5 points OVER (+150) / UNDER (-200)
- 76.5 points OVER (+200) / UNDER (-280)
- 78.5 points OVER (+270) / UNDER (-400)
Kentucky vs. Louisville prediction: Wildcats pull away late, but Louisville keeps it close
Rivalry games are always tough to project, as there is so much more to the matchup than the talent on the floor. This is the biggest game of the season for Louisville. It will be tough for them to pull off the upset with the talent deficit they face, but expect them to keep it close.
Pick: Louisville
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