What is the Spread on Kentucky vs. Louisville?

Carrie Stroup here and I have your spread on the Kentucky vs. Louisville game for Friday night.  Remember, place your 1^st bet here at Sportsbook.com and receive your 2^nd bet FOR FREE up to $100.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS (26-10) vs. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (31-5)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Louisville -4.5 & 138.5

Defending national champion Louisville will continue its rivalry with Kentucky on Friday with an Elite Eight berth on the line.

These two teams met in their annual regular season game, and it was the Wildcats that were able to get the 73-66 victory on Dec. 28 in Lexington. Kentucky had four guys scoring at least 10 points in the win, with SG James Young and PG Andrew Harrison each netting 18 points. Kentucky also had a big advantage on the glass, outrebounding the Cardinals, 44-36, and holding them to a paltry 39.7% FG. One thing the Wildcats will have to do better in this game is hit their free throws, as they connected on only 16-of-30 from the line. Kentucky is coming off a huge win against previously undefeated Wichita State, as this young team showed how much it has grown throughout its up-and-down season. The experienced Shockers had a 6-point lead at the half, but UK used another balanced scoring attack to get the win. PF Julius Randle had a double-double in the game, and will look to continue that against the defending champions. For the season, the Wildcats are an even 17-17 ATS overall, going 7-6 ATS in non-conference play, while posting a strong 6-2 ATS mark on a neutral court. Louisville got more than it bargained for in the tournament opener against Manhattan in a narrow 71-64 win, but bounced back with a convincing 66-51 victory against Saint Louis. SF Luke Hancock scored 21 points in the win against the Billikens, and is starting to play the same basketball that he did during the Cardinals' title run last season. His team is now 19-14-1 ATS (58%) overall, including 7-6 ATS versus non-conference opponents and 4-3 ATS on a neutral court. Both teams have positive betting trends, as Kentucky is 18-8 ATS (69%) after a win by six points or less under head coach John Calipari, while Louisville is an impressive 15-3 ATS (80%) in March games over the past two seasons.

The Wildcats are a dominating team on the glass, ranking second in the nation with a +9.8 RPG margin. The offense of Kentucky has been solid, as it ranks 61st among Division-I teams in scoring (75.2 PPG) but shoots just 45.2% FG (125th in nation) and 32.7% threes (231st in Div. I). However, the club is always attacking the rim, as it leads the nation in free-throw attempts. The defense allows just 66.4 PPG (78th in Div. I) on 40.6% FG (40th in nation) thanks to 222 blocks (5th in Div. I). After a March 1 loss to South Carolina, there were doubts on whether or not the Wildcats would be able to make any noise in the NCAA Tournament. However, the freshmen have turned things around, especially PF Julius Randle (15.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG), who is capable of going off for a double-double on any given night. His soft shooting touch brings opposing power forwards out from the basket, but Randle mostly uses his muscle to get easy put-backs inside. After scoring just four points in the SEC Tournament finals loss to Florida, he has bounced back in the NCAA Tournament with a pair of double-doubles (16.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG). SG James Young (14.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG) is the wild card on this team, as he is the best outside shooter (34% threes). While the freshman can be inconsistent with his shot, when he is on, the Wildcats become a scary offense. SG Aaron Harrison (14.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 APG) and PG Andrew Harrison (11.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.0 RPG) have continued to improve throughout the season, and can create major mismatches with their 6-foot-6 height and athleticism. The Wildcats average 12.3 turnovers per game (175th in nation) this season, and must limit that number if they are going to move on to the Elite Eight.

Experience can play a huge role at this time in the season, and the Cardinals have as much as any team left in the tournament. Louisville comes into the game ranked 12^th in the nation in scoring (81.4 PPG) on 47.0% FG (39th in Div. I) and is also 14th in defense (60.7 PPG) on 39.5% FG (19th in nation) and 28.6% threes (3rd in Div. I) for the country's largest scoring margin of +20.6 PPG. This is an extremely efficient team on both ends of the court, as it leads the nation in turnover margin (+6.8) thanks largely to its 10.1 SPG (2nd in Div. I). PG Russ Smith (18.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 3.3 RPG) is the type of player that can take over a game and will his team to a victory, but he has struggled a bit in the NCAAs, averaging 14.5 PPG on 6-of-19 FG (32%) in two tournament games. If Louisville is going to have a chance to make it to Dallas to defend its title, Smith will have to get back to playing his basketball. He is a fearless competitor who will look to get to the rim the entire game despite being just 5-foot-11. If he is able to get going early and get some easy baskets, then the Cardinals' entire team seems to become more confident. PF Montrezl Harrell (14.0 PPG, 61% FG, 8.4 RPG) has been on a tear as of late with three straight double-doubles (14.7 PPG, 11.7 RPG), and has the strength and athleticism to match up with guys like Randle in the post. While Harrell has done a good job on the offensive end, it is his defense that has been the most important to the team during this postseason run, tallying 2.7 BPG in his past three contests. With guys like SF Luke Hancock (12.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and SG Chris Jones (10.4 PPG, 3.0 APG) both capable of having big games, this is a difficult offense to contain. Hancock showed what he can do on the big stage last season, bringing the Cardinals back from a big deficit to Michigan in the national title, and he has started off the 2014 NCAA Tournament with 18.5 PPG (11-of-12 FT), 3.5 RPG and 3.5 APG. Jones is a junior-college transfer, but has helped the Cardinals ease the loss of Peyton Siva. Jones is similar to Smith, as he is extremely aggressive at getting to the rim, and drains 77% of his free throws. He has scored 11 points in three straight games, but has made just 9-of-30 FG (30%) during this stretch. If the Cardinals' backcourt is able to dictate the tempo of the game, then Rick Pitino’s squad has a great chance to win.

- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter