[9:32 PM] #10 Louisville v. Old Dominion

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#10 Louisville: Wins By 15+ Points

Any Other Result

• The line for this game is Louisville by 16.5 points.

• Louisville suffered its only loss in its first 17 games to Duke in the 2012 Battle 4 Atlantis championship game but followed it up with a share of the Big East regular-season crown, a conference tournament title and a rout of the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight en route to the 2013 NCAA championship. The Cardinals could be primed for a similar start this season as they pounded each of their first three opponents at home by an average margin of 32 points.

• The Monarchs enter this tournament having won 12 of their last 13 contests dating back to last season and should present more of a challenge to fast-paced Louisville, as no team plays at a slower tempo than Old Dominion. The Monarchs are coming off a 64-61 win at Richmond on Nov. 14, giving them eight full days to prepare for three games in three days at this event.

• Coach Rick Pitino heaped praise on his team for putting on a “clinic” on both sides of the court for the first 11-plus minutes in Thursday’s 88-56 rout of Long Beach State – a stretch during which the Cardinals raced out to a 31-10 lead by hitting 11 of their first 13 shots while the 49ers went 2-for-16. Jaylen Johnson (team-high marks of 15.3 points and 11.3 rebounds) is averaging only 22.3 minutes and played just 18 minutes Thursday, yet the junior forward turned in his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 boards. Sophomores Deng Adel (11 points per game), Donovan Mitchell (10.7) and freshman V.J. King (10.3) are among eight Cardinals averaging at least six points.

• Like Louisville (19 offensive rebounds per game, second-best in the country), the Monarchs are among the best in Division I at crashing the offensive glass so far, tied for 30th with 15 per game. Leading scorer Brandan Stith (15 points, six boards per game) opened the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds against James Madison in 32 minutes, but the 6-7, 240-pound forward was limited to only seven points and one rebound over 10 foul-plagued minutes against the Spiders. Jordan Baker (14.5 points) was also held under double figures versus Richmond, but sophomores Ahmad Caver (9.5) and Zoran Talley (nine) combined for 25 to save the day for Old Dominion.

• Louisville has recorded at least nine steals and nine blocks in every game.

StreakSmarts Pick: #10 Louisville: Wins By 15+ Points

Confidence: 5/10