The upstart Louisville Cardinals head to Pittsburgh, PA on Saturday to take on the Panthers in an ACC battle. The Cardinals, under first-year head coach Pat Kelsey, are off to an 11-5 start including 4-1 in the ACC. The Panthers are 12-3 on the season and have won three of their first four conference games. The opening tap is scheduled for noon EST on Saturday so get ready for this Louisville vs. Pitt prediction.
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Read on for the prediction for the Louisville/Pittsburgh game.
Louisville flies into Pitt on a high
The Louisville Cardinals have responded well under the tutelage of first-year head coach Kelsey, with 11 wins already this season and more wins in the ACC than the team had all of last season. The Cardinals improved to 4-1 in conference play on Tuesday night thanks to a 74-64 win over Clemson.
"I am proud of our guys. Our three leading scorers go 4-for-33. We still score a point per possession to beat a very good team by 19 points. I think the big story should be J'Vonne Hadley. He was sensational. Somebody said 32 points is the most anyone has scored in the ACC so far this year. What is crazy is that is not even his calling card. He is a jack of all trades and in so many ways he was dominant tonight on the backboard and scoring the ball. When it comes to our defense, in our last three games, I think it is very, very important to mention the dominant defensive performance of Terrence Edwards in the last three games. I think it is so important to mention and makes sure that he gets praise for the job that he is doing guarding the best player on the other team night in and night out. His shooting numbers aren't what they typically are, and as you know he is a very talented scorer. He has been sensational, just terrific on defense. We are fortunate to beat a very good team." Kelsey said after the win.
Hadley was the story offensively for the Cardinals, hitting on 10-of-12 from the floor including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc for a career-high 32 points. Hadley added 10 rebounds to go along with three assist and a steal in his best performance at Louisville. Teammate James Scott also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while going 5-of-5 from the field. Scott had two blocks, an assist, and a steal in the game as well. The Cardinals held Clemson to just 40 percent shooting from the field while shooting 46 percent from the field themselves.
The Cardinals now hit the road hoping to pick up their fifth conference win in six tries this season. The Cardinals are 2-1 on the road this season. They come into this game ranked 84th in the country in scoring. They are ranked 219th in field goal shooting and 310th in 3-point shooting. The Cardinals shoot the long ball at a high volume, however, ranked 55th in the country in 3-point field goals per game. They are 144th in turnovers per game and 41st in offensive efficiency. The Cardinals are ranked 104th in the nation in scoring defense this season. They are 104th in field goal defense and 177th in 3-point defense. The Cardinals are ranked 75th in forced turnovers and 45th in defensive efficiency. The Cardinals are 51st in the country in total rebounds per game and have played the 14th toughest schedule in the country.
Key Injuries: F Kasean Pryor and G Koren Johnson are out.
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Panthers back in the mix in ACC
The Pitt Panthers were off and running with a record of 12-2 as they entered head coach Jeff Capel's alma mater, Duke, on Tuesday night. The Panthers ran into a buzzsaw and watched the 4th-ranked Blue Devils run all over them in a 76-47 thrashing at Duke. The Panthers battled hard for much of the game before going scoreless in the last eight minutes of the game to lead to the one-sided finish. The loss also marked the Panthers' first loss in ACC play this season.
"We did miss some shots that we got and then our decision making at times wasn't great. We got some penetration at times and we had some kicks that we didn't make. It's tough to score at the rim on those guys with their size." Capel said about his team's struggles to score against the Blue Devils.
The Panthers finished the game shooting just 31 percent from the field. The Panthers had just one player in double-digit scoring for the night with Cameron Corhen finishing with 11 points to go along with seven rebounds. Leading scorer Ishmael Leggette was harassed by the size of the Blue Devils' defense all night and finished just 2-of-15 for a season-low four points. The Panthers were dominated on the glass by Duke, losing the rebounding battle 41-26.
The Panthers hope to make it four out of five in conference play on Saturday as they host the Cardinals. They also hope to go a perfect 10-0 at home with a win. The Panthers are ranked 34th in the nation in scoring this season. They are 34th in field goal shooting and 79th in 3-point shooting. The Panthers are 84th in the country in 3-point field goals made per game this season. They are 39th in turnovers per game and rank 22nd in offensive efficiency. Defensively, Pittsburgh is ranked 91st in the country in scoring defense. The Panthers are 87th in field goal defense and 103rd in 3-point defense. They are 156th in the country in forced turnovers and rank 43rd in defensive efficiency. The Panthers are 138th in the country in total rebounds per game and have played the 47th toughest schedule this season.
Key Injuries: No Injuries to Report.
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Best Bets for Louisville vs. Pittsburgh
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Cardinals are returning to relevancy this season after falling to the bottom of the pack in the ACC over the last few seasons. They have thrived under Kelsey's direction and are bearing the fruit of a challenging schedule this season in non-conference play. In saying that, the Cardinals will run into a tough foe on the road on Saturday in the Pitt Panthers. The Panthers also went out and played a tough schedule to start the season and have more offensive depth this season. They had trouble with the length of Duke on Tuesday night and struggled to get off quality shots. That will change on Saturday, particularly from the perimeter. The Cardinals are just 228th in the country in three-point defense, and that should open up the perimeter again for the Panthers. On the other end of the floor, the Panthers are a solid 103rd in the country in 3-point defense. That will be critical against the Cardinals, a team that launches from long-range frequently. Pittsburgh's offensive efficiency will return home against a far less imposing defense and the Panthers will roll to victory.
Take the Panthers.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Panthers are coming off a game in which they scored fewer than 50 points and went nearly eight full minutes of playing time without scoring. That will turn around back home against the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals thrive on creating turnovers but will have difficulty against a Pittsburgh team that ranks 34th in the country in fewest turnovers per game. The efficient Panthers will create good scoring opportunities and thrive from beyond the arc against a mediocre Cardinals' perimeter defense. The Cardinals will try to stay in the game with the three-point shot. That should help push this one over the number.
Take the over.
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