Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction & Match Preview - January 23, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The Duke Blue Devils will head to Kentucky to battle the Louisville Cardinals in an ACC matchup on Saturday.
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Cardinals have a 56.7% chance of winning, despite the Blue Devils controlling the overall series with a 10-7 record.
The Louisville Cardinals, who were ranked No.16 last week, saw themselves taken out of the AP Top 25 Poll after losing their last two games. However, they are sitting just 1.5 games out of first place in the ACC, with a 4-2 record in conference play.
Meanwhile, the Duke Blue Devils have continued to disappoint this season, losing their last two games and dropping to 5-4 on the year.
Match Details
Fixture: Duke Blue Devils vs Louisville Cardinals - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Saturday, January 23, 2021, 4 PM ET
Venue: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville Cardinals Preview
The Louisville Cardinals have dropped their last two ACC matchups and desperately needed a win against the Duke Blue Devils to remain in contention as one of the top teams in their conference.
The Cardinals have been horrific from behind the arc during their back-to-back losses, shooting just 20% from three.
If the Louisville Cardinals can convert from three against the Duke Blue Devils, they will likely come away with their fifth conference win on Saturday afternoon.
Key Player - David Johnson
David Johnson is the key player for the Louisville Cardinals. The sophomore guard is the most consistent three-point shooter for the franchise this season. He has attempted 46 shots from behind the arc, 13 more than his next teammate, and converts them 43.5% of the time.
Johnson will need to be great from behind the arc and force the Duke Blue Devils to respect the Louisville Cardinals on the perimeter to bounce back after losing two straight games.
Louisville Cardinals Predicted Lineup
F Jae'Lyn Withers, F Samuell Williamson, F Dre Davis, G Carlik Jones, G David Johnson
Duke Blue Devils Preview
The Duke Blue Devils' struggles continue as they are coming off a loss to the Pittsburg Panthers. They are now just one game above .500 on the year.
The Blue Devils having a hard time taking care of the ball this season, averaging 13.6 turnovers a game, which is 3.8 more than when they won the NCAA Championship during the 2015-16 season, via teamrankings.com.
If the Duke Blue Devils are to turn their season around, they will need to take better care of the ball and reset their offensive sets instead of forcing a pass when a play gets broken down.
Key Player - DJ Steward
DJ Steward is the key player for the Duke Blue Devils. The freshman guard scored just six points and converted two of seven from the floor.
If the Duke Blue Devils are to have a chance at beating the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, Steward will need to gain back confidence in his jump shot as his side will need production from all five starters.
Duke Blue Devils Predicted Lineup
F Matthew Hurt, F Jaemyn Brakefield, G Jordan Goldwire, G DJ Steward, G Jeremy Roach
Duke vs Louisville Prediction
The Louisville Cardinals will defeat the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon and move to 5-2 in the ACC.
Look for the Cardinals to capitalize off the Blue Devils turnovers and get it going from three.
We also expect David Johnson to produce 20+ points and be the best player on the court.
Where to watch Duke vs Louisville
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.