Are the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals a feel-good story (5-0)? With an offseason mired in damaging allegations and questions regarding their future because of the loss of big time players, the Cardinals weren’t expected to be this hot out of the gate. They’ll be in for a litmus test, though, later tonight, when they take on the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, who are also undefeated at 7-0.
Read on for more about this matchup. Also check out our preview of Indiana vs. Duke.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Louisville Cardinals vs. Michigan State Spartans Preview
Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing
When: Wednesday, December 2, 7:15 PM ET
Line: Boston Louisville Cardinals at Michigan State Spartans – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (5-0, 0-0 ACC)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Louisville is reaping dividends from its bold move to replace key players it lost over the summer with transferees from mid-major programs. Those transfers, Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, are currently the team’s leading scorers.
Lee, who paces the Cardinals with 17.4 points per game, however, didn’t have his usual game the last time out. He scored just 10 points, albeit on an efficient 4-for-7 shooting, as he was hampered by foul trouble in Louisville’s 77-57 win over St. Louis on Saturday. It was a good thing that Lewis was there to pick up the scoring cudgels, as he finished with a game-high 22 points, including three three-pointers.
The real MVP in that game, however, was Louisville’s unforgiving defense that held the Billikens to only 57 points on 41 attempts and forced them to commit 14 turnovers.
The Cardinals will have to keep that kind of defensive pressure in East Lansing, as Michigan State is a high-volume shooting team that chucks up 58.9 shots per game.
Last season’s holdovers Mangok Mathiang and Chinanu Onuaku have been critical pieces to Louisville’s defense that allows just 51.2 points per game—second best in the nation—particularly because of their rebounding and terrific rim protection. Together, they are hauling down 16.6 rebounds and swatting away 3.6 shots per game.
Louisville is 5-5 ATS in its last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (7-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Michigan State is more than just about Denzel Valentine, who is killing it for the Spartans these days. Against Providence in the Wooden Legacy championship game on Sunday, Bryn Forbes and Deyonta Davis put up 18 and 12 points, respectively, to complement Valentine in a 77-64 victory.
Valentine had a hard time finding his shot early on, but nonetheless finished with 17 points on 5-for-14 shooting. Valentine is currently leading all Big Ten scorers with 19.9 points per game, but he’s going to need his teammates to get involved this Wednesday to spread the focus of Louisville’s imposing defense.
Ball movement and outside shooting are keys to success for Michigan State, as it tries to breakdown the Cards’ defense. The Spartans don’t seem to have a problem in moving the ball, though, as they are second in the nation with 23.7 dimes per game. Having a do-it-all star in Valentine helps a lot for sure with the senior guard tallying 8.9 APG.
The Spartans’ outside gunners, meanwhile, should be locked and loaded for this game, considering that Louisville don’t give too many scoring chances inside the paint. In fact, Cardinals opponents are shooting only 46.7% at the rim, 18th lowest in the nation.
Michigan State is making 8.6 threes per game with Valentine knocking down 3.9 per game and Forbes hitting 2.6.
The Spartans are 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
Writer’s Prediction
Louisville wins, 70-67.
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