Virginia vs Louisville Prediction 1/18/25 College Basketball Picks

Louisville (13-5) vs Virginia (8-9)

Game Info: Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 12:00 pm (KFC Yum! Center)

Betting Odds: Louisville -13.5 -- Over/Under: 127.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

Where to Watch: ESPN2

The Virginia Cavaliers are visiting the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, January 18th at the KFC Yum! Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction. We will examine:

The Louisville Cardinals' recent form and player performance

The Virginia Cavaliers' recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Louisville Cardinals

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Virginia Cavaliers

Recent betting trends in games played between Virginia Cavaliers and Louisville Cardinals

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals game

Louisville Cardinals Preview

The Louisville Cardinals have a 13-5 record this season and are sitting in the second place in the ACC. Louisville is coming off an 81-65 win over Syracuse. The Cardinals are 11-7 against the spread, and 5-13 in over/under while having a 7-3 home record. 

Offensively, Louisville is averaging 78.2 points per game, which ranks 102nd in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 69.7 points per game (128th). The Cardinals shoot 43.7% from the field (244th) and 30.9% from beyond the arc (215th). The Cardinals shoot 72.4% from the free throw line (154th) and are grabbing 38.5 rebounds per game (72nd).

Chucky Hepburn leads Louisville in scoring this season, with an average of 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and a team-high 5.7 assists, while Reyne Smith adds 13.3 points and 2.9 rebounds.

Virginia Cavaliers Preview

The Virginia Cavaliers have an 8-9 record this season and are sitting in 17th place in the ACC. Virginia is coming off a 52-54 loss to SMU. The Cavaliers are 6-11 against the spread, and 8-9 in over/under, while having a 0-4 road record this season. 

Offensively, Virginia is averaging 61 points per game, which ranks 360th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 63.4 points per game, which is the 19th-best nationally. The Cavaliers shoot 42.7% from the field (297th) and 35.5% from beyond the arc (95th). The Cavaliers shoot 75.4% from the free throw line (65th), and are grabbing 30.7 rebounds per game (349th).

Isaac McNeely leads Virginia scoring this season, with an average of 121.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Elijah Saunders adds 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Why the Louisville Cardinals will win

  • Louisville has won each of its last eight games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
  • Virginia has lost each of its last four games.
  • Louisville has won the first half in each of its last eight games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Why the Virginia Cavaliers will win

  • Louisville has lost each of its last eight day games against the Atlantic Coast Conference at KFC Yum! Center.
  • Virginia has won 10 of its last 11 games at KFC Yum! Center.
  • Louisville has lost the first half in each of its last eight day games against the Atlantic Coast Conference at KFC Yum! Center.

Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals Head-to-Head

Virginia is 9-1 in their last 10 meetings against Louisville, but Louisville State is 4-2 against the spread in their last 6 meetings. Under is 4-2 in their last 6 meetings, and in their most recent meeting last season, Louisville won 70-50 on the road, covering the spread, as the game went under the point total.

Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction

In this Virginia Cavaliers vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction, Louisville is coming as a -13.5 home favorites. The Cardinals are rightfully favored, as they have a better record, and a superior offense, scoring 17.2 points more than Virginia. Louisville has also been dominating at home, and is coming in red-hot, with 8 consecutive wins, and is 7-1 against the spread in that span. On the other hand, Virginia is winless on the road, and in terrible form, with four consecutive losses and 1-3 against the spread. Take the Louisville Cardinals to take care of business at home.

Nikos’s Pick Louisville Cardinals -13.5

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The pick in this article is the opinion of the writer, not a PickDawgz site consensus.

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