#9 Duke Blue Devils at Louisville Cardinals Basketball Pick

Our Duke vs Louisville prediction for Saturday, January 29, 2022, has the visiting Blue Devils favored by 6.5 points and at -110. In this ACC matchup, the underdog Louisville Cardinals are +6.5 and -110. The total is 142.0 with both at -110.

The Blue Devils and Cardinals will tip off at 12:00 p.m. ET at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. ESPN will cover the contest.

Duke vs Louisville - Keys to the Game

The #9 Duke Blue Devils (16-3 Overall, 6-2 ACC) are 9-2 for their last 11 games. They’re one-half game behind first-place Miami. The Blue Devils have won their last two, beating Syracuse and Clemson. Their last lost was on January 18 when FSU edged them in OT 79-78.

In the ACC, the unranked Louisville Cardinals (11-9 Overall, 5-5 ACC) are eighth in the conference. They’re 2.5 games out of first. The Cardinals are 4-6 for their last 10 games and 1-4 over their past five. The team’s last win came January 19 when they took down the B.C. Eagles 67-54.

Blue Devils - Stats and Players

Our Duke vs Louisville prediction notes that the Blue Devils can certainly score, as they’re averaging 82.0 PPG. On D, Duke is allowing opponents 65.8 PPG. They’re shooting 49.1/37.4/73.3 percent. Other Blue Devils stats include 35.8 RPG, 10.8 APG, 2.4 BPG, and 4.6 SPG.

Duke will likely be without freshman star guard Trevor Keels (11.9 PPG, 3.2 EPG, 3.2 APG). Keels suffered a lower leg injury at Florida a few days ago. He’s a solid setup man as well as scorer. The good news is Jeremy Roach also offers fine passing and set up chops. Roach is averaging 3.7 APG, 8.1 PPG, and 1.1 SPG.

The Blue Devils’ frontcourt game is especially strong. Forward Paolo Banchero, a 51.0 percent field-goal shooter who’s also sinking 33.9 percent of his threes, leads the Blue Devils with 17.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG. Wendell Moore Jr., also a fine inside/outside shooter at 54.5/42.6 percent, is hitting for 15.1 PPG while grabbing 5.6 RPG. He’s dishing off a hefty 4.6 APG. Finally, center Mark Williams (9.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.3 BPG) is a premium two-way player. Williams is completing 69.2 percent of his field goal attempts.

Cardinals - Stats and Players

The Cards are averaging 13.5 fewer PPG (68.5 PPG) than the Blue Devils. The team’s shooting stats trail behind the Blue Devils, as their shooting percentages come in at 42.2/32.0/68.5. On average, Duke is outshooting the Cardinals by six percent. Louisville is allowing opponents 67.7 PPG. Giving them a PF/PA differential of just +0.8. Additional team stats include 37.8 RPG, 12.7 APG, 2.3 BPG, and 6.3 SPG.

The Cardinals will counter Duke with a quartet of guards. Noah Locke leads all Louisville scorers with 10.2 PPG. He’s a 36 percent shooter. Also in the backcourt, Dre Davis offer 7.4 PPG and El Ellis 7.1 PPG. Both are bringing down just over three rebounds per game. Finally, look for guard Jarrod West, a sound set up man who’s averaging 3.2 APG and 6.8 PPG, to see plenty of playing time.

Forward Malik Williams is the team’s top performer in the paint, averaging 10.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG. As Louisville’s most accurate shooter, he’s hitting 48.0 percent of his field goals. Williams is also a good three-point man. The fifth man in, Matt Cross, offers 7.1 PPG and 3.7 RPG.

Final Word NCAAM- Duke vs Louisville Prediction

Duke comes to this game with a commanding total PF/PA advantage of +16.2. Duke’s shooters and defenders are certainly superior to Louisville’s The question is will the Blue Devils utilize their leverage effectively in this game. We expect that they will. In our Duke vs Louisville prediction, we like the Blue Devils in this one at -6.5 (-110). Our final projection is Duke 85 and Louisville 68 for a total of 153. We like over 142.0 (-110).

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Summary - #9 Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals Pick - Jan 29 2022

Spread Pick - Duke Blue Devils -6.5 (-110)

Over/Under - Over 142.0 (-110)