The Louisville Cardinals will battle the West Virginia Mountaineers in a 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal matchup on Thanksgiving Day. Louisville advanced with an 89-61 thrashing of 14th-ranked Indiana on Wednesday, while West Virginia rallied for an 86-78 overtime win over third-ranked Gonzaga in their first-round matchup. The Cardinals (4-1), who finished 15th in the ACC at 3-17 and were 8-24 overall a year ago, have won three in a row. The Mountaineers (4-1), who tied with Oklahoma State for 13th in the Big 12 at 4-14 and were 9-23 overall in 2023-24, are riding a two-game winning streak.
Tipoff from Imperial Arena at Paradise Island, Bahamas is set for noon ET. Louisville leads the all-time series 9-4, including a 2-1 edge in games played on neutral courts. The Cardinals are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Louisville vs. West Virginia odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 151. Before making any Louisville vs. West Virginia picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 4 of the 2024-25 season on a 162-118 betting roll (+1952) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Louisville vs. WVU. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for WVU vs Louisville:
- Louisville vs. West Virginia spread: Louisville -2.5
- Louisville vs. West Virginia over/under: 151 points
- Louisville vs. West Virginia money line: Louisville -142, West Virginia +120
- LOU: The Cardinals are 4-6 against the spread in their last 10 games
- WVA: The Mountaineers are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games
- Louisville vs. West Virginia picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Louisville
Senior guard Reyne Smith is among the Cardinals’ top scorers. In five games off the bench, he is averaging 14.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and nearly one assist and one steal in 24.8 minutes of action. He is connecting on 42.8% of his field goals, including 42.6% from 3-point range, and 90% of his free throws. Against Indiana, he scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds. He had 20 points and three rebounds in the win over Winthrop on Friday, and scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 77-55 loss to 12th-ranked Tennessee on Nov. 9.
Also powering the Cardinals is transfer senior guard Chucky Hepburn, who registered a double-double on Wednesday. Hepburn played three seasons at Wisconsin. In 29 minutes of action against Indiana, he poured in 16 points and dished out 10 assists, while making seven steals. In five starts, he is averaging 11.6 points, 5.2 assists, 3.8 steals and 2.4 rebounds in 27.2 minutes. He is connecting on 48.7% of his field goals and 92.3% of his free throws. Against Bellarmine on Nov. 19, he scored 16 points and added five assists, four steals and two rebounds in a 100-68 win. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back West Virginia
Senior guard Javon Small was dominant in the win over Gonzaga on Wednesday. In 42 minutes of action, he poured in 31 points and added seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. He had scored 23 points and added five assists, five rebounds and four steals in an 86-43 win over Iona on Nov. 20. In five starts, he is averaging 18.6 points, four rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals in 32.8 minutes of action. He is in his first year in the program after playing last season at Oklahoma State and the previous two at East Carolina.
Senior guard Tucker DeVries is also in his first season with the Mountaineers after spending the past three years at Drake. He was also instrumental in powering West Virginia to the upset of Gonzaga. In 42 minutes of play on Wednesday, DeVries scored 16 points, while chipping in six rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. In five starts this season, he is averaging 14 points, five rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 blocks and 2.4 steals in 34.2 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Louisville vs. West Virginia picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 146 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisville vs. West Virginia, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $1,900 on its college basketball picks dating back to 2023, and find out.
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