Creighton vs Louisville March Madness Odds: Cardinals' Moneyline Grows Stronger Before Tip-Off
The #9 Creighton Bluejays (24-10) face the #8 Louisville Cardinals (27-7) in a South Region first-round matchup at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Louisville enters as -3.5 point favorites, with the line moving from the opening -2.5.
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Key Betting Information:
- Current Spread: Louisville -3.5 (-105)
- Total: 145.5
- Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- Tip-off: 12:15 pm ET, Thursday
Both teams have been profitable against the spread this season:
- Creighton: 19-13-2 ATS (59.4%)
- Louisville: 20-14 ATS (58.8%)
Louisville enters with momentum, having won 10 straight home games since their December loss to Kentucky. The Cardinals have also gone 2-1 in neutral court games, with their only loss coming to Duke in the ACC final.
Analytics Projections:
- KenPom: Louisville by 3
- Torvik: Louisville by 3
- Haslametrics: Louisville by 1.5
The location factor likely explains the line movement, as Louisville will enjoy quasi-home court advantage playing just an hour from campus, while Creighton faces a nearly 12-hour journey from Omaha.
Louisville has transformed under first-year coach Pat Kelsey, improving from 185th in KenPom rankings last season to 21st entering the tournament. Creighton currently sits at 36th in KenPom rankings.
The teams' strong ATS records suggest both have exceeded market expectations throughout the season, setting up an intriguing 8-9 matchup despite the Cardinals' favorite status.