The race to be the #1 team in the nation is one that takes countless twists and turns over the course of the college basketball season. Every year, we see several different teams rise to the top, only to see them lose a game that you would expect them to win. We have already seen it happen several times this season, with the #1 seed seemingly controlled by a revolving door that a number of different teams have spun through in the early going. We are more than likely going to see a lot of changes in the rankings as the season moves along.
While these losses can be frustrating for bettors, it gives us an opportunity to see just how fragile a team is. Does a bad loss send them spiraling, or do they dust it off and get back to the business of winning? We will learn a little more about the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon when they face the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the same week that the Cards lost their first game of the season. Expect Louisville to be huge favorites for this one.
Eastern Kentucky vs Louisville 2019 College Basketball Betting Lines & Pick
- When: Saturday, December 14 at 12 PM EST
- Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville
- TV: ACCN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: WatchACC
- NCAAB Odds: TBA
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Why bet on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels?
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels pay out of the Ohio Valley Conference and come into this one with a 3-6 record on the season. They are on a run of form right now that is not where you want to be when about to face one of the best teams in the country, losing 4 in a row ahead of this one.The Colonels have played Louisville 4 times over the years and have yet to pick up a win. In fact, they have been outscored by an average of 26 PPG in those meetings, so the chances of them going in and springing the upset seems pretty slim. The Colonels have just 1 win in their last 14 games on the road and have now failed to cover in each of their last 5 games overall.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 74.67
- Field Goal Percentage: 39.65
- Three-Point Percentage: 31.62
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.91
- Total Rebounds: 35.44
Defense
- Total Score: 72.56
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.19
- Three-Point Percentage: 28.89
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.21
- Total Rebounds: 40.67
Why bet on the Louisville Cardinals?
To this point in the season, we have seen Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State all lose while occupying the #1 spot. The Louisville Cardinals became a member of that inauspicious club when they went down 70-57 to Texas Tech earlier this week. That was a game that the Cardinals started as a 7 ½ point favorite, so to say that the loss was a surprise is putting things rather mildly.
It will be good for Louisville to get back home after the neutral site defeat, as they are unbeaten in their own building in 8 straights games. That said, they are just 3-4 ATS in 7 home games this season, although they are probably going to want to bounce back and deliver a solid performance in front of their own fans. The UNDER has hit in 8 of the last 10 games Louisville has played in December.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 75.10
- Field Goal Percentage: 48.12
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.32
- Free Throw Percentage: 72.97
- Total Rebounds: 39.70
Defense
- Total Score: 58.80
- Field Goal Percentage: 35.71
- Three-Point Percentage: 27.16
- Free Throw Percentage: 69.08
- Total Rebounds: 32.30
Eastern Kentucky vs Louisville College Basketball Betting Trends
- Colonels are 1-13 SU in their last 14 games on the road
- Colonels are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games played on a Saturday
- The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Eastern Kentucky’s last 19 games played in December
- Cardinals are 8-0 SU in their last 8 games at home
- Cardinals are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played on a Saturday
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Louisville’s last 6 games
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction Eastern Kentucky vs Louisville
Every team in college basketball has an off night or two over the course of the season. Louisville will hope that the loss to Texas Tech is their lone bad one. They should bounce back and deliver a convincing win on Saturday.Score: Eastern Kentucky Colonels 58 – Louisville Cardinals 88
