Kentucky vs Louisville Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the Rising Wildcats Run Rampant on the Road?

Having a core comprised mostly of freshman can come with some frustrations and stumbles, as we saw with Kentucky in their loss to UNC Wilmington earlier this month. But that core of freshman is pretty darn good, and after showing as much against North Carolina, the #6 Wildcats will look to do so again as they visit Louisville this evening (6:00 pm ET, ESPN).

After throttling Miami by 22 in the ACC-SEC Challenge, the Wildcats turned around and lost at home to UNC Wilmington four days later.

That could have thrown this team off, but they have instead responded with wins over Penn, who beat Villanova earlier this season, and North Carolina.

Picks in this piece are courtesy of BetOnline. At BetOnline, you can get great odds on all of the top college basketball matchups every day.

Next up for the Wildcats is a rivalry showdown with the Cardinals, who are still trying to find their way under Kenny Payne, a former Kentucky assistant.

After going 4-28 in Payne’s first season, Louisville exceeded that win total with a victory over Pepperdine on Sunday. The bar was pretty low for improvement, but they have been competitive even in losses to the likes of Texas, Indiana, and Virginia Tech, and it does appear that the Cardinals are better this season thanks to a number of new additions.

However, losses to Chattanooga, DePaul, and Arkansas State show that Louisville has a long way to go before returning to a place of prominence in college basketball, and wins might be hard to come by from this point on with ACC play ahead.

Kentucky vs Louisville Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our BetOnline review.

Spread

• Kentucky -14 (-110)
• Louisville +14 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 155.5 (-110)
• Under 155.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Kentucky -1200
• Louisville +750

Last Five Games for Kentucky

• (Atlanta, GA – State Farm Classic) vs North Carolina (12/16): won 87-83
• (Philadelphia, PA – Malone’s Classic) vs Penn (12/9): won 81-66
• vs UNC Wilmington (12/2): lost 80-73
• (ACC-SEC Challenge) vs Miami (11/28): won 95-73
• vs Marshall (11/24): won 118-82

Last Five Games for Louisville

• vs Pepperdine (12/17): won 85-63
• vs Arkansas State (12/13): lost 75-63
• at DePaul (12/9): lost 75-68
• at Virginia Tech (12/3): lost 75-68
• vs Bellarmine (11/29): won 73-68

Top Players for Kentucky

• Antonio Reeves: 17.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 42.6% 3PT
• Rob Dillingham: 14.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 46.5% 3PT
• Reed Sheppard: 12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.9 SPG, 57.1% 3PT
• D.J. Wagner: 12.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.9 APG
• Tre Mitchell: 12.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.7 APG

Who will lead the way for Kentucky in this matchup? Six different players have led the Wildcats in scoring in games this season.

Top Players for Louisville

• Skyy Clark: 15.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.5 APG
• Tre White: 12.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.7 APG
• Mike James: 12.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG
• JJ Traynor: 10.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 51.6% FG
• Brandon Huntley-Hatfield: 9.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG

Clark is Louisville’s leading scorer and the man to watch on their side this evening. He was a signee in Kentucky’s 2022 recruiting class before asking for his release, then inking with Illinois. After transferring following his freshman campaign in Champaign, Clark is set to face the Wildcats for the first time.

Kentucky vs Louisville Prediction and Picks

Prediction: Kentucky to win

I wouldn’t be surprised if Louisville managed to hang around in this one for a while. Rivalry games can bring out the best in a team. However, even if the Cardinals are competitive, I expect Kentucky to pull away and cover.

Picks: Kentucky -14 & Kentucky/Louisville Over 155.5 (Both -110 at BetOnline – Bet These Odds & Get a 100% Bonus on Your First Cryptocurrency Deposit)

Where to Bet on College Basketball

If you are looking for college basketball odds, you will always be spoiled for choice.

Sports betting sites all over the internet offer a vast array of NCAA basketball odds throughout the season, from the opening tip in November to the conclusion of the season in early April.

Along with being able to bet on games like Nevada vs Hawaii, many online sportsbooks offer men’s college basketball national championship odds, women’s college basketball national championship odds, men’s Wooden Award odds, women’s Wooden Award odds, and odds on who will win early season and conference tournaments.

Below are some of the books that we highly recommend for college basketball betting:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• Bovada
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Basketball Content

• College Basketball Betting Guide
• Men’s Wooden Award Winner Odds
• Women’s Wooden Award Winner Odds