One take from Louisville basketball’s 99-73 win over Memphis
The Cardinals not only have 3-point shooting, they have the balance to keep opposing defenses from keying in on one or two players.
KNOXVILLE, TN — Louisville basketball has a chance to make a big statement today.
Pat Kelsey’s No. 11 Cardinals (9-1) face No. 23 Tennessee (7-3) inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center: a chance to redeem last year’s lopsided loss at the KFC Yum! Center in the final game of a home-and-home series.
UofL is coming off one of its most impressive performances of the season, a 99-73 throttling of rival Memphis over the weekend at the Yum! Center. Kelsey’s team shot 51.4% from 3, a new high for the campaign, and got 44 points off the bench.
The Volunteers enter this matchup on a three-game losing streak (to Kansas, Syracuse and Illinois) but haven’t played since falling to the Fighting Illini on Dec. 6. Rick Barnes’ team ranked 18th on KenPom.com, with the country’s No. 1 offensive rebounding rate and the 13th-best defensive, as of Monday.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
UofL and UT are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. today inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
Betting odds: Louisville is a 2 ½-point underdog (-112) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 157 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are Tennessee -135, Louisville +114.
Score predictions: KenPom gives the Cards a 49% chance of winning and projects an 80-79 final score in Tennessee’s favor. BartTorvik.com is also forecasting a Vols victory (57%), with a projected final score of 80-79.
The game between Louisville and Tennessee will air on ESPN, which is channel 602 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 206 on DirecTV; channel 140 on Dish; and channel 506 on Spectrum. Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will be on the call.
If you subscribe to a cable package, you’ll be able to livestream the game via ESPN.com and the ESPN app. If you don’t have cable, you can livestream the game via ESPN+ (subscriber only) or Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
