Louisville Cardinals vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Virginia vs Louisville NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Louisville.

Virginia vs Louisville Prediction

Planning on watching today's Cavaliers and Cardinals game? Catch the action at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY, as the Cardinals hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on ESPN2. The over/under for this game is set at 127.5 points, and Louisville is favored by -15.5 vs. Virginia in a Atlantic Coast conference matchup.

Virginia vs. Louisville Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Virginia Cavaliers at Louisville Cardinals
Where: Louisville at KFC Yum! Center
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds LOU -15.5, VIR +895 | LOU -1650 O/U 127.5

Cavaliers Preview: Will Virginia Make it Happen on the Road?

Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games

Virginia’s season record dropped to 8-9 after a 54-52 loss to SMU on Wednesday. The Cavaliers were +6 underdogs but kept the game close, covering the spread. The total points for the game were 106, well below the O/U line of 134.5.

Virginia trailed 27-25 at halftime and both teams scored 27 points in the 2nd half. Despite keeping the game tight, the Cavaliers couldn’t pull off the upset at home.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia's offense struggled in their last game, scoring just 52 points with a field goal percentage of 34.6%. They shot 15.4% from beyond the arc, hitting only 4 of 26 attempts, leading to an effective field goal percentage of 38.5%.

Boopie Miller and Chuck Harris each contributed 12 points, with Harris shooting 2 of 9 from three. Blake Buchanan added 11 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 5 of 7 from the field. The Cavaliers made 12 of 15 free throws, finishing with 15 assists and 5 offensive rebounds.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Virginia's defense was dominant, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 34% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where their opponent shot only 15%, making just 4 of 26 attempts.

Inside the arc, their opponent had more success, hitting 53% of their two-point shots, going 14/26. From the free-throw line, they shot 80%, converting 12 of 15 attempts. Virginia also limited second-chance opportunities, allowing just 5 offensive rebounds.

Cardinals Preview: Can Louisville Pull Off a Home Win?

Louisville improved to 13-5 on the season with an 85-61 win over Syracuse on Tuesday. The Cardinals, who were -8.5 favorites, covered the spread with the win. The game’s total points of 146 fell short of the 153.5 O/U line.

Louisville took control early, leading 43-27 at halftime. They continued their strong play in the second half, outscoring Syracuse 42-34 to seal the victory.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Louisville's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 85 points with a 50% shooting performance from the field. They hit 42.9% of their three-point attempts, connecting on 12 of 28 shots from deep, and were perfect from the free-throw line, going 11 for 11.

Chucky Hepburn led the way with 24 points, hitting 6 of 10 from beyond the arc and dishing out 7 assists. Chris Bell added 18 points, knocking down 4 of 7 threes, while J'Vonne Hadley and Eddie Lampkin each grabbed 10 rebounds.

Cardinals Team Defense

Louisville's defense held their opponent to 61 points, allowing them to shoot 40% from the field. The Cardinals gave up 24 made baskets on 60 attempts.

From three-point range, Louisville's opponent shot 32%, hitting 8 of 25 attempts. The Cardinals also sent them to the line 9 times, where they made 5 free throws.

Cavaliers vs Cardinals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their five previous road games, Virginia has an ATS mark of 0-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-5 while averaging 57 points per game.
In their last five home games, Louisville has averaged 82 points per game while allowing 71. The team's record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 5-0 vs. the spread.
Going back to their last three games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 0-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-2.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the favorite, the Cardinals have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.