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The Louisville Cardinals will take on the fourth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Wednesday night.
The Cardinals (6-10, 1-4) are looking to get back in the win column after an 89-83 home loss against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday. The Tar Heels (13-3, 5-0) are cruising on a six-game winning streak after a dominant 103-67 home win on Saturday against the Syracuse Orange.
Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels betting odds
Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels match details
Fixture: Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Date and Time: Wednesday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m. ET
Venue: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels key stats
The Cardinals' offense has scored 73.8 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field. Mike James, a sophomore guard, has led the way for the program. In 32.3 minutes, he averages 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 steals while shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc.
Louisville's defense has been struggling a bit, allowing 76.6 points per game. As of this point, the team averages 3.0 blocks and 5.5 steals per game.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are offensively incredible, scoring 83.8 points this season and shooting 45.4% from the floor. Senior guard RJ Davis is one of the top scorers in college basketball. He has put up 20.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals while playing 33.7 minutes per game. He's been a great scorer with a shooting split of 43.2/41.0/95.4 this season.
The Tar Heels defense has been holding its own, giving up 69.5 points per game up to this point. The team averages 8.3 steals and 4.7 blocks per game.
Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels: Best Picks and Prediction
The UNC Tar Heels should win this game without a question, but this is a gigantic number. Louisville is dealing with a few injuries, but Mike James should score well in this game. Overall, the Cardinals need to figure out how to get some stops.
The Tar Heels have not been shooting the ball incredibly well. The Cardinals have shown the ability to get second-chance opportunities with 9.5 offensive rebounds per game this season. Expect Louisville to keep this game relatively close and easily cover the spread.
Pick: Louisville Cardinals +21.5 (-115)
