It's not the Big East final that fans or bettors would have predicted but the Louisville Cardinals will take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in Cincinnati at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Cincinnati upset top-seeded Syracuse while Rick Pitino's Cardinals beat Notre Dame to earn a spot in the final. The Big East final odds favor Louisville by 3 points at Sportsbook while the total was around 123.5 at Sportsbook.
Cincinnati battles the Cardinals, currently sitting with a 25-9 mark (17-13-1 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 13-14 for the Bearcats and 13-17-1 for the Cardinals.
View Louisville vs Cincinnati Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 45-ranked Bearcats and the No. 9-rated Cardinals in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 75-73 win for the Bearcats on Saturday.
How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Cardinals is ranked No. 27 in NCAA hoops at 38.3 per game. Contrast that with Cincinnati’s No. 75 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Cincinnati is the No. 78-ranked team in the country at 7.3 per game, while Louisville rates No. 195 at 5.9 per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Louisville owns the country's No. 71-rated mark, allowing 65.5 points per game on the highway. Cincinnati, on the other hand, rates No. 163 in scoring at home.
In their last action, Louisville was a 64-50 Sportsbook on the road against Notre Dame. They covered the 3.5-point spread as favorites. Louisville got 16 points from Gorgui Dieng en route to a 64-50 victory over Notre Dame on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
Last time out for Cincinnati, they were a 71-68 Sportsbook as they battled Syracuse on the road. They covered in the match as an 8-point underdog. Cincinnati earned a 71-68 victory over Syracuse on Friday, getting 18 points from Yancy Gates at Madison Square Garden.
