Kentucky vs Louisville Predictions, Picks & Betting Lines

• The 12th-ranked Louisville Cardinals are 4.5-point favorites over no. 9 Kentucky Tuesday
• Kentucky has won six of the last seven head-to-head meetings
• See below for my Kentucky vs Louisville picks and predictions, plus the latest odds

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In-state bragging rights are on the line when the ninth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats (2-0, 1-1-0 ATS) hit the road to take on No. 12 Louisville (2-0, 1-1-0 ATS) on Tuesday night.

Both teams are undefeated and impressive in the early going, demolishing competition, but it’s the hometown Cardinals that the books have as 4.5-point home favorites in the college basketball odds.

These teams love to get up and down the court and light up the scoreboard, which is why my Kentucky vs Louisville prediction is targeting the total.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8pm ET from the KFC Yum! Center, in Louisville, KY, with ESPN providing the broadcast coverage. Read below for my Kentucky vs Louisville picks and predictions, plus the latest odds.

Kentucky vs Louisville Picks & Predictions

• Over 174.5 points (-110) at BetMGM

It’s arguably college basketball’s biggest game of the evening, as two teams currently in the Top 15 in the March Madness odds lock horns with some legit disdain for one another.

Louisville has been absolute gangbusters out of the gate, opening the year with a 104-45 thrashing of South Carolina State, following it up with a 106-70 dismantling of Jackson State.

It’s the first time they’ve beaten two teams by 30+ points in back-to-back games since 2016 and the first time they’ve cracked the century mark in consecutive games since 2010.

They’re currently paced by sophomore forward Khani Rooths, making the jump from reserve to starter in Year 2. The jump has been fine, as he leads the team averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.

He’s flanked by freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr, who leads the team with 7.5 assists per game, to go along with 14.5 points.

More help is on the way too. Senior Kasean Pryor made his return after a year recovering from ACL surgery against Jackson State, and the 6-foot-10 wing should elevate this squad once he’s got his legs back under him.

Kentucky’s been really nice to start the season as well, opening with a 77-51 win over Nicholls, followed by a destructive 107-59 thumping of Valparaiso.

The Wildcats are deep, with seven players already averaging double-digit scoring and the top scorer, Collin Chandler, averaging just 14.5 points.

UK saw the emergence of a big man against Valpo, as 7-foot, 250-pound freshman Malcahi Moreno led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Kentucky’s offensive totals aren’t going to overwhelm anyone. They’re shooting 50.3% from the field, including just a 32.7% clip from 3-point range. This will be their first real test, against a Cardinals team that holds teams to 31.7% shooting (26th) and just 57.5 points (44th).

UK vs LOU Head-to-Head Results

It’s early, and these teams are not yet close to their finished selves, so expect this one to be entertaining with plenty of up and down play.

Louisville can get up and down the floor, as they rank inside the KenPom’s Top 30 for pace, but theWildcats aren’t that far back themselves, sitting in 78th.

The recent matchups seem to match this trend, as the teams have combined to hit the Over in three straight and four of the last five meetings.

Kentucky vs Louisville Odds

The interactive table above will automatically update as the college basketball odds move over the course of the day.

There are enough books providing a variety of bets that you can’t go wrong if you shop at the right place. Anyone thinking they want UK to pull off an upset can get the Wildcats at +6.5 points for a wager on the spread. Those wanting Louisville can find the line as short as -4.5.

FanDuel is offering the best odds on the Wildcats to pull off the outright upset at +168, while bet365 is offering the Cardinals as -170 on the moneyline.

The total has some variance too, enough to give the Under bettors a coveted extra point at 174.5 points, available currently at BetMGM. Under bettors can find FanDuel’s current line at 175.5, giving an extra point of value.

Odds as of Nov. 11. New customers can claim the BetMGM promo code get a bonus to bet on college basketball.