Texas vs Louisville Odds
| Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | -3000 |
| Louisville Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | +1300 |
Below, we have Texas vs. Louisville odds and a pick, including a college basketball betting guide for Sunday, Nov. 19.
The Empire Classic takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday, with the second game showcasing the Texas Longhorns and Louisville Cardinals. The two schools haven’t met since the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA tournament.
The Longhorns fell short of the Final Four last season, but they've started this season strong. Texas is 3-0 and has topped the 80-point mark in all three games.
The Cardinals are halfway to their win total from last season, which is an odd thing to say in mid-November. Louisville won four games last season, but it's already 2-1 through three games, which is a bigger deal than it was in previous years.
Texas Longhorns
Rodney Terry’s team enters the weekend ranked 20th in the KenPom ratings, compared to finishing last season at No. 5. Texas has taken care of business in convincing fashion by dominating Incarnate Word, Delaware State and Rice.
There aren’t a lot of bad things to say about the Longhorns so far, as UT has shot 45.7% from 3-point range and 60.6% on 2-point attempts.
Defensively, the Horns are limiting opponents to 20.4% shooting from long distance, while not giving up more than 64 points in a game.
Tyrese Hunter is one of three Horns players to average at least 14 points per game, and he's coming off an 18-point effort against Rice.
Ithiel Horton played only 17 minutes against Rice and scored in single digits for the first time in three games.
Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas has transitioned to Austin well by averaging 14.7 points per game, including 19 against Delaware State.
From an ATS standpoint, the Longhorns have covered only once in three games. Granted, Texas closed as a 32.5-point favorite against Delaware State and won 86-59. It followed that up with a 16-point win over Rice as 20.5-point chalk.
Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals were a once-proud blue-blood program, but have fallen on hard times the last few seasons. Louisville went through a 17-47 stretch from 2021 through 2023, but it started this season with a win.
Things went backwards in their second game, though, as they lost to Chattanooga, 81-71, at home as a 3.5-point favorite. The Mocs built a 21-point lead in the second half, posting 48 second-half points.
Louisville picked up its most convincing win of the short season against Coppin State, 61-41, on Wednesday as 17.5-point favorites.
Guard Mike James leads the Cardinals in scoring, averaging 18 points per game. His best performance came against UMBC, as he recorded 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cardinals finished up last season as a solid double-digit underdog by covering in five of six opportunities, although Louisville won only one of those games outright.
Texas vs. Louisville
Betting Pick & Prediction
Texas is laying a ton of points in this neutral-site spot, and rightfully so. But Louisville proved towards the end of last season that it could hang around as a heavy underdog.
The Longhorns will be able to score and should win this game, but the Cardinals are playing with more confidence to start this season as opposed to their horrendous start in 2022-23. Even if that's not really saying much, play the Cards to +16.
Pick: Louisville +17.5 (Play to +16)
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