The No. 8 Louisville Cardinals travel to Wake Forest to take on the upset-minded Demon Deacons tonight at 9pm on Fox Sports South. Louisville currently sits as a 3-point favorite, despite being the away team.
Wake is led by forward John Collins who almost averages a double-double with 19.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG and guard Bryant Crawford at 15.5 PPG and 5.6 APG. Outside of those two, there is only one other player on the roster averaging double-figures in guard Keyshawn Woods at 12.5 PPG. If the Cards can limit/stop any of these 3 players, Wake will be forced to use depth it doesn’t have. The Demon Deacons average a solid 81.6 PPG but give up an unimpressive 76.8 PPG. A recipe the Cards have had a lot of success with this season when playing teams with more offensive focus and defensive struggles.
It has been widely agreed on that Wake Forest has a lot on the line tonight. Although the Demon Deacons are fighting for an at-large NCAA tournament bid, Louisville still has a lot to play for as well. Wake is in desperate need of a signature win. Louisville has to keep winning to keep their ACC regular season title share and 1-seed hopes alive. The assumption that “Wake has more to play for tonight” isn’t as true as it may seem.
Louisville needs a win tonight just as badly as Wake does, just in different ways. Wake Forest has given Louisville some tough games since the Cards joined the ACC, I think tonight will fit that script. Louisville battles for 35 minutes but pulls away late to win semi-comfortably.
Louisville 84-Wake Forest 75.
Go Cards!