The #21 Virginia Cavaliers (16-6, 12-4 ACC) battle the Louisville Cardinals (13-5, 8-4 ACC) Saturday afternoon in the final regular-season contest for both schools. The match will be the first meeting between the two ACC foes this season. Saturday’s game tips off at 4 p.m. EST inside the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. Virginia is a 2.5-point road favorite over the Cardinals, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Virginia Cavaliers
UVA heads into their final contest of the regular season after defeating Miami on Monday night, 62-51, snapping a three-game losing stretch. A win Saturday and loss by FSU gives the Cavaliers the regular-season conference title. Virginia is slated as a potential five-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cavaliers average 68.5 points per game while shooting 48.0% from the floor and 39.2% from beyond the arc. Defensively, UVA ranks first in the ACC, surrendering only 59.9 points per game while holding opponents to 41.8% shooting from the field and 33.8% from three.
Monday night’s 11-point victory over the Hurricanes was highlighted by an 18-point outing from senior forward Sam Hauser. Hauser finished the game 7-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from deep. UVA’s defense did what they do best, holding Miami to 38.5% (20-of-52) shooting, including just 26.7% (4-of-15) from beyond the arc.
Virginia is 10-11-1 against the spread this season with a 1-4 mark over their last five games. The Cavaliers are 7-8-1 ATS in conference games and 4-3-1 on the road.
What to Know – Louisville Cardinals
After a slew of postponed games, the Cardinals head into the weekend with a chance to take a three-game winning streak into the conference tournament. The Cardinals collected victories over Notre Dame (69-57) and Duke (80-73) in the last ten days to give themselves a chance to finish in the top four in the ACC. Louisville is currently in NCAA Tournament projections, with most analysts pegging the Cardinals as a 10-seed.
Louisville pours in 69.2 points per game, backed by 44.2% shooting from the field and 30.7% shooting from three. The Cardinals defense allows teams to average 66.2 points per game, shooting 41.6% from the floor, and an ACC-best 30.5% from the three-point line.
In Saturday’s overtime victory over the Blue Devils, UL got a team-high 25 points from senior guard Carlik Jones. Jones shot 50% (9-of-18) from the floor and chipped in six rebounds and four assists. Sophomore center Samuell Williamson collected his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
The Cardinals are 9-9 ATS this year, including 4-2 in their last six matchups. Louisville is 7-5 ATS in ACC games and 5-5 on their home floor.
The Pick is In
Louisville has had a week between games after Wednesday’s game at Virginia Tech was canceled. The rest should help the Cardinals, but UVA is a well-coached team with veteran leaders that play well on the road. UL’s victory over the Blue Devils was impressive, but any college basketball fan knows Duke has not met expectations this season. Give us the Cavaliers on the road in their attempt to lock up the regular-season title.
The Pick: Virginia Cavaliers -2.5
