The No. 11 Louisville Cardinals host the Salukis of Southern Illinois tonight in the Yum! Center at 7pm. The game can be seen on Fox Sports South for local viewers and ACC Networks for viewers outside the area.
The Cardinals will be out without Anas Mahmoud (concussion) for the second straight game but the Salukis only have one player above 6’8 on the roster so height should not be an issue. The Salukis are 5-3 entering tonight and are currently riding a 2 game win streak. Look for some lineup changes, Pitino has talked about a “quick” lineup with Deng Adel and VJ King playing 2 guard spots and Ray Spalding in the post. Personally, I’m hoping Matz Stockman gets some clock tonight after the first half he had against Grand Canyon. Either way, expect some shuffling around as this is the time for Pitino to find his go to lineup for the rigorous schedule ahead.
As of now, the Cards are 21 point favorites over the Salukis. I can’t see Louisville having much trouble tonight and should win handily. My prediction is a score of 85-57 with all around solid performances and a breakout 20 and 10 game from sophomore Ray Spalding.
Go Cards!
