2013 College Basketball Pittsburgh vs. Louisville Picks & Predictions
By ATSSportsline.com
LOUISVILLE, KY (ATS Consultants) – Can the Louisville Cardinals stop the bleeding with a victory tonight versus Pittsburgh at the KFC Yum! Center at 7:00PM ET?
ODDS: Oddsmakers have installed Louisville as a 6-point favorite over Pittsburgh for tonight’s game, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 125 points. The Panthers enter play with a 17-4 overall record and are 5-3 in the Big East, while the Cardinals are 16-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
LINE MOVEMENT: The Cardinals opened as 6-point favorites versus the Panthers while the over/under total is currently sitting at 125 points after opening at 122.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the wagers placed on tonight’s game, 68% of college basketball public bettors currently favor the Cardinals. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most up-to-date public betting numbers.
NCAA FREE PICK: Take Louisville. According to latest college basketball trends, Pittsburgh is: 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a SU win of more than 20 points. Louisville is: 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 Monday games.
This is a must-win game for Louisville, who has gone from a possible number one seed to a team that has lost three in a row. Two of them were on the road and a loss by two at Georgetown wasn't embarrassing. Louisville hasn't lost four straight since Feb. 12-25, 2004, and it hasn't lost four straight Big East games since joining the conference in 2005-06. Russ Smith, averaging 18.4 points, came off the bench for only the third time this season and scored 12 points on a season low-tying nine shots. Luke Hancock scored 12 points in his first start since Nov. 15 and Pitino plans to start him again versus Pittsburgh, which has won four straight and is coming off a 93-55 rout of DePaul on Saturday. Louisville will use their pressure defense to force Pittsburgh, who averages just 10.4 turnovers per game, to cough it up. Louisville leads the conference and ranks among the best in the country by forcing an average of 19.5. Louisville has won three straight in this series since Peyton Siva became a starter. Russ Smith scored a game-high 18 points in Louisville's 57-54 home win over Pittsburgh in the most recent meeting Feb. 26. Expect the Cards to play with a sense of urgency and pull away in the second half at home.
MONDAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: LOUISVILLE CARDINALS -6
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