No. 13 Louisville has been inconsistent as of late sandwiching a pair of wins between two losses. The Cardinals do own a considerable upset over that stretch, a 71-65 home win over then-No. 2 North Carolina. They now return on the road to take on Notre Dame’s blistering offense. The Fighting Irish are coming back-to-back victories, including a home upset of North Carolina.
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Louisville Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Purcell Pavilion, South Bend
When: Saturday, February 13, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Louisville Cardinals at Notre Dame Fighting Irish – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (19-5)
The Louisville Cardinals started slow, and their comeback attempt failed to steal the show in a72-65 loss to Duke on Monday night. Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points to pace the Cardinals, who shot 56 percent in the second half and erased a 15-poit deficit. Quentin Snider fouled out with just over two minutes left, but not before chipping in 12 points.
Lewis isn’t the only Cardinal who can catch fire from beyond the arc. Snider leads the team, shooting at a 42 percent clip from three this season. He’s 3 of 9 from beyond the arc in his last two games. Damion Lee is also a reliable shooter. While Lee missed all five of his three-point attempts at Duke on Monday, he shot 9 of 13 in his two previous road games before that.
The Cardinals are 0-6 ATS in their last six on the road.
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-7)
If you can’t stop Notre Dame’s scoring, then you probably won’t win. The Fighting Irish have one of the best offenses in the nation, scoring 79 points per game (47th). Their starters have been very good with Demetrious Jackson (16.2 points per game), Zach Auguste (14.1), Steve Vasturia (12.5), Bonzie Colson (12.5) and V.J. Beachem (11.9) all averaging in double figures this season.
The Fighting Irish’s quintet of players has been amazing in their last two games. All five of them have scored in double digits in their last two games. Most recently, they beat Clemson 89-83 on the road on Monday. They scored 72 of their 89 points.
The Irish score in a multitude of ways. Jackson, Vasturia and Veachem are streaky shooters from beyond the arc. Vasturia and Veachem have the hottest hands, making 40 and 43 percent of their three-point attempts respectively. Jackson can drive to the basket, shoot from deep, or dish out to his teammates. He leads the team with five assists per game.
Perhaps Notre Dame’s best weapons against Louisville are Auguste and Colston. Auguste has been unstoppable in his last four games with 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Colston is scoring 15.7 points per game in his last three outings.
The Fighting Irish have won eight of their last 10 at home, but are just 4-5-1 ATS over that span. They’ve been good lately, though, going 3-0 ATS in their last three.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cardinals are the deeper team. They outlast Notre Dame in a big road victory.
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