Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – December 21, 2016

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals Preview

Where: KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, Kentucky

When: Wednesday, December 21, 7:00 PM ET

Line: Kentucky Wildcats (-1) vs. Louisville Cardinals (+1) – view all NCAA Basketball lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

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Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (-1)

Kentucky extended its winning streak to three games with a thrilling 103-100 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday. Malik Monk was simply unstoppable in this contest, scoring a Kentucky freshman record 47 points, including the game-winning 3-point basket with 16.7 seconds left. He has been a vital cog in the Wildcats’ success this season, leading the team not only in scoring (21.9 PPG) but also in three-point percentage (.422) as well. Monk displayed that shooting prowess in the win against North Carolina, going 8-of-12 from beyond the arc.

The Wildcats will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with arch-rivals Louisville this coming Wednesday. For Kentucky to grab the critical road victory, it needs to push the pace and impose its up-tempo style. The Wildcats’ speed has been an advantage for them this season with the average Kentucky offensive possession lasting just 13.8 seconds. That has enabled John Calipari’s men to rack up the scoring this season with the Wildcats averaging a whopping 95.2 points per game. That’s third-highest in the nation this campaign.

The Wildcats will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Cardinals of late. Kentucky owns a 34-15 advantage in the series, including an impressive 8-1 mark since Calipari took over the Wildcats program in 2009.

Kentucky is 7-0 ATS in its last seven road games against Louisville.

Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (+1)

If there’s one team who can stop red-hot Kentucky right now, it’s got to be their crosstown rivals Louisville. The Cardinals have been playing some excellent defense to start the season, allowing just 59.4 points per game and a nation’s-best 87.5 points per 100 possessions. The Cards are a perfect foil to a Kentucky offense that has broken 100 points four times already this season. They displayed their defensive prowess in their recent win against Eastern Kentucky, holding the Colonels scoreless for the final seven minutes.

On the offensive end, Louisville will bank on its balanced attack. The Cardinals are not a high-powered offensive team like Kentucky with only two Louisville players averaging in double-figures this season. They spread the basketball well, though, with four players scoring between 9.5 and 11.7 points per outing. With Louisville averaging just 78.5 points per game this season (92nd in the nation), it’s crucial for the Cardinals that they impose their grind-it-out style against Kentucky. They have not allowed more than 71 points to any team this season.

Louisville is 8-0 SU and ATS at home this season.

Writer’s Prediction

Louisville (+1) edges past Kentucky, 81-75.

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