Louisville vs. Wake Forest Prediction and Odds (Deamon Deacons Looking to Go Big at Home)

ACC rivals the Louisville Cardinals and Wake Forest Demon Deacons are set to do battle tonight at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Louisville Cardinals are coming off a loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels 70-63 and have now dropped eight of their last nine games and 11 of their last 14 straight up. Things have been a bit better against the spread with a 3-1 record in their last four. However, they have only covered four games since Dec. 18. Wake Forest, on the other hand, had a terrific season thus far with a 21-8 record. But they too have suffered a bit of a slump recently and enter Saturday night with a 1-3 overall and ATS record in their last four games. Here are the odds for this ACC showdown, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Louisville vs. Wake Forest Odds, Spread, and Total

Spread:

• Louisville +8.5 (-110)
• Wake Forest -8.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Louisville +290
• Wake Forest -370

Total: 142.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Louisville vs. Wake Forest Prediction and Pick

These two teams are in very different places than the last time they met. The Cardinals came away with a win in that showdown but I am not sold on them being able to repeat that performance. As an away underdog Louisville is 2-4 ATS and 3-6-1 ATS in their overall road games. Overall, the Cardinals are 9-17-1 against the spread on the year. It’s no wonder why when you start tearing into this team’s stats. Their offense is dreadful and ranks 236th in points per game and effective field goal percentage. The Cardinals are also 299th from deep and 291st in free throw shooting. If there is one thing I hate in college basketball is teams that can’t even get the fundamentals of the game down. 

Wake Forest, on the other hand, ranks 19th in the nation in scoring offense and 15th in effective field goal percentage. They are the fourth-best shooting team from inside the arc and are shooting almost 35 percent from downtown. The Deacons rebound better, ranking 15th on the defensive glass, and do a good job limiting fouls and turnovers. 

The Cardinal's defense isn’t bad exactly, but the average isn’t good enough to keep up with an offense like Wake Forest. And without the firepower to put up big numbers, the Cardinals are likely to be playing behind for most, if not all, of this game. 

Pick: Wake Forest -8.5 (-110)

Follow all of Matt De Saro’s betting picks HERE