Louisville vs. Oregon: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread Info and Predictions

The No. 1-seeded Louisville Cardinals are set to battle the No. 12 Oregon Ducks in a Sweet 16 matchup to determine which squad will advance to the Elite Eight in the Midwest region.

Both sides have dominated the early portion of the 2013 NCAA tournament, but only one will be able to move on after this one.

Keep reading to find out where to watch this thrilling contest, get advice on how to bet the game, check out the injury report, see our prediction on the final score and much more.

When: Friday, Mar. 29 at 7:15 p.m. ET

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.

Watch: CBS

Live Stream: NCAA

 

Point Spread (via Bovada.lv): Louisville -10

The Cardinals are a heavy favorite in this neutral-court showdown with Oregon, which is to be expected when the No. 1 overall seed is going up against a No. 12-seeded Cinderella. Louisville should have no problem knocking off the Ducks, as the Cardinals are a more complete team and have the underdog beat in practically every area but bench depth.

Laying 10 points may be tough, especially after watching Oregon blow out a good Oklahoma State squad and an even better Saint Louis program, but it’s the right call here.

The combination of Russ Smith, Gorgui Dieng, Peyton Siva and the Cardinals' supporting cast will just be too much firepower for the defense to handle, allowing UL to cruise to victory by a wide margin.

 

Over/Under (via Bovada.lv): 129

Lean toward the over here.

Both teams are capable of absolutely lighting up the scoreboard and have done so regularly during the 2012-13 season and through the first two games of the tourney. Oregon has put up an average of 71 points, while Louisville is tossing up an incredible 80.5 points per contest.

While we expect the defenses will tighten up a bit in this one—especially on the Cardinals' end—there should still be plenty of explosive scoring.

The Ducks have six players on the roster who averaged over eight points during the regular season, while Louisville has five such scorers—including Smith, an 18.4 PPG star.

Expect a track meet that puts buckets first and everything else second in this Sweet 16 showdown.

 

Louisville Injury Report (via USA Today)

C Mangok Mathiang, Out, Eligiblity

G Mike Marra, Out, Knee

Oregon Injury Report (via USA Today):

F Carlos Emory, Probable, Wrist

 

Key Player to Watch: Russ Smith 

The junior guard has been instrumental to Louisville’s success this season, making a huge leap forward in his third year with the program. He’s a volume shooter who isn’t afraid to take and make all the big shots, but he also does so efficiently by shooting a solid 41.6 percent on field goals and 34.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Smith contributes in other areas as well, putting up 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and an impressive 2.2 steals per night.

If he’s feeling it, there’s no way that the Ducks even have a chance to upset the Cardinals in the Sweet 16.

Tune in to see if he can get it going against the underdog, as his performance will likely be the different between Louisville handily advancing or possibly going home on Friday night.

 

Prediction

As impressive as the Ducks have been in the early stages of the NCAA tourney, we believe their run is going to come to an abrupt halt.

The Cardinals are an elite neutral-site squad, having gone 20-7 against the spread in their past 27 games—often as large favorites. They’ll have no problems getting their potent offense humming against a mediocre defensive unit and will be able to score at will.

Unless something drastic occurs—such as an injury to Smith or Siva—you can bet on Louisville to dance to the Elite Eight.

Louisville 72, Oregon 61

 

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