Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 5, 2016

Two ACC heavyweights lock horns this Saturday night as No. 4 Virginia host No. 11 Louisville in a titanic clash at John Paul Jones Arena. Both programs still have a legitimate chance of claiming at least a share of the regular-season title so expect a gripping encounter between the two sides.

Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this blockbuster matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Oklahoma vs. TCU and Baylor vs. West Virginia.

March Madness News & Predictions

2016 March Madness Sleepers Predictions and Picks

2016 March Madness Longshots and Best Long Shots Picks and Predictions

2016 March Madness Preview

2016 NCAA March Madness Expert Picks

Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers Preview

Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville

When: Saturday, March 5, 8:30 PM ET

Line: Louisville Cardinals at Virginia Cavaliers – view all NCAA Basketball lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (23-7, 12-5 ACC)

Louisville returned to winning ways Tuesday with a thrilling 56-53 victory over Georgia Tech at KFC Yum! Center. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Cardinals, who suffered a gut-wrenching eight-point defeat to Miami in their previous game. With the victory, the Cardinals improved their overall record this season to 23-7.

Starring for Louisville in this home finale was Chinanu Onuaku. He scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 11 boards. He scored two huge free throws with 30.9 seconds remaining to help seal the win for the Cards. Also providing a major spark for Louisville was graduating senior Damion Lee. He scored 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field.

The Cards will look to end their season on a high when they lock horns with the Virginia Cavaliers this coming Saturday. For Louisville to achieve that task, it needs to execute much better on the offensive end. The Cards have faced the Cavaliers just three times before, losing twice to Virginia during that span. Rick Pitino’s men averaged just 47 points in those two defeats. Louisville is 114th in Division I in scoring, averaging 75.9 points per game this season.

The Cards are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games.

Create a betting account now and put your NCAA college basketball predictions to the test!

Betting on the Virginia Cavaliers (23-6, 12-5 ACC)

The Virginia Cavaliers stretched their unbeaten run to two games with a gritty 64-57 victory over the Clemson Tigers on Sunday. Three starters scored in double-figures for the Hoos who have now won 10 of their last 12 games. Key to the Cavaliers’ resurgence has been their smothering defense. Virginia is third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 60.1 points per game this season. That rock-solid defense was in full display Sunday against the Tigers where they held Clemson to just 43.5 percent shooting from the field.

The Cavaliers will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they square off with Louisville this coming Saturday. For the Cavaliers to accomplish that feat, they will need to get another solid performance from Malcolm Brogdon. He had 18 points, four rebounds and three assists in the win against Clemson. Brogdon has been superb for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.9 steals per game this campaign.

The Hoos will also take heart in the fact that they have fared extremely well against Louisville of late. They have won two of their last three games against the Cardinals, including an emphatic 63-47 victory in their last meeting on January 30.

The Cavaliers are 10-0 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Writer’s Prediction

Virginia wins, 60-54.

The post Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 5, 2016 appeared first on Sports Betting Tips, News, and Analysis.