Connecticut Huskies at No. 25 Louisville Cardinals
Monday, 2/6/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Louisville -4.5
Current Betting Line: Louisville -4
Opening Total: 128.5
Current Total: 129.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Connecticut snapped a four-game losing streak with a 69-46 win over the Seton Hall Pirates as 8.5-point home favorites on Saturday, playing without head coach Jim Calhoun on the sidelines. He has been suffering from severe back pain and will be away from the program for an indeterminate amount of time. “We just wanted to win,” commented Huskies guard Ryan Boatright. Offensively, the team is being led by All-America candidate Jeremy Lamb, who is averaging 17.6 points per game. Connecticut is 17-7 ATS as an underdog the last two-plus seasons.
The Huskies have won five of their last eight true road games during the regular season. Connecticut is certainly led by its defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 36.7 percent from the field, which is second among Big East Conference teams during the 2011-12 campaign. In the latest win, the Huskies allowed the Pirates to shoot just 25.9 percent, while holding them to 19.2 percent from beyond the arc in the two-game series this year.
Louisville is getting hot at the right time in winning four straight and has gone “over” the total in four of five games. The Cardinals have three players in the starting lineup averaging in double figures, with senior forward Kyle Kuric leading the way, averaging 13.2 points per game. Center Gorgui Dieng has also proven to be an important player in grabbing a team-high 9.5 rebounds per game, but may be slowed down by a sprained ankle in this contest. “What I have seen in the past is that you can play on it but then it will swell,” commented Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino on the situation. Louisville is 1-3 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points.
The Cardinals also bring it on the defensive end, holding opponents to 37 percent shooting from the floor, which ranks third nationally. Louisville has been fantastic during the month of February since 2005, posting a 38-12 record in that span. Freshman forward Chane Behanan has really been coming on of late, averaging 14.8 points and grabbing 9.4 rebounds over his last five games.
Bettors will likely back the Cardinals due to their 4-0 ATS mark versus conference opponents, while the Huskies are 1-5 ATS on the road.
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