2025-12-16-louisville_cardinals-tennessee_volunteers-n-1

#11 Louisville vs. #20 Tennessee Game Preview

Khani Rooths scored 20 points in the Cardinals opening victory - NCAA Basketball Picks

Welcome to Super Tuesday, the perfect night to dive into a full slate of college basketball action. Tonight, all eyes are on No. 11 Louisville and No. 20 Tennessee, two teams with streaks moving in opposite directions. The Volunteers are reeling from three straight losses and need a bounce-back performance, while the Cardinals are riding a two-game winning streak and looking to continue their momentum. Will Tennessee flip the script at home, or will Louisville prove they are for real on the road? We are about to break down matchups, numbers, and everything you need to know to get ready for tonight’s showdown.

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#11 Louisville vs. #20 Tennessee Odds

Can Tennessee snap out of their three-game losing streak?

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Spread

Louisville: -1.5 (+100)

Tennessee: +1.5 (-120)

Total

Over: 156.5 (-115)

Under: 156.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Louisville: -115

Tennessee: -105

#11 Louisville vs. #20 Tennessee Best Bet

Welcome to Super Tuesday, where we get to dive into a full slate of college basketball games. The game of the night is No. 11 Louisville taking on No. 20 Tennessee, two teams on completely different streaks. The Volunteers are coming off three straight losses, while the Cardinals are riding a two-game winning streak. Will the streaks end in Knoxville Tuesday evening, or will they continue? Let us break it down.

Get Right Vols

After three straight losses, it is time for the Volunteers to bounce back and get back on track. With ten days of rest, Rick Barnes and his boys should be more than ready to take on a Louisville team coming off back-to-back big wins. I also expect the Cardinals to regress slightly. In their 99-73 win over Memphis, they shot 55.6% from the floor and 51.4% from three-point range. Louisville does shoot the most threes in the country, but shooting above 50% is unsustainable. Memphis ranked 231st in three-point defense and 296th in three-point rate defense, inflating Louisville’s numbers. Tennessee has the 55th best three-point defense but allows a lot of attempts, ranked 285th in three-point rate defense. With ten days to prepare against the country’s heaviest three-point shooting team, Coach Barnes will have his team locked in on the perimeter.

Despite going 1-3 against top 100 teams, Tennessee has endured the 82nd toughest schedule to start the year. Louisville, meanwhile, has faced the 176th toughest schedule. The Volunteers’ last four games were all against top 100 opponents, including a 76-73 win over Houston, which seemed like their Super Bowl. Louisville has played five teams inside the top 100, but many are unimpressive. Kentucky has yet to show up this season and has dealt with injuries, Cincinnati is 1-3 against top 100 teams with its biggest win at home over Dayton, and Memphis allowed Louisville to shoot above 50% from deep. This game will be the best defensive team Louisville has faced all season.

Play Your Game

I expect Tennessee to force Louisville to play slower than they are used to. The Volunteers rank in the top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage defense, and two-point defense. Offensively, they are the country’s best offensive rebounding team, always pushing for second-chance points.

The last time Louisville played on the road, they lost 89-80 to Arkansas. Can they perform at a high level on the road in just their second true road outing of the season? Haslametrics gives Tennessee a massive home court advantage. They rank 128th in home/away court, while Louisville ranks as the tenth worst. This game will be electric.

With a week plus to prepare and Louisville coming off shooting 50% from everywhere against a weak Memphis defense, this should be the game Tennessee gets right as they gear up for conference play. This is the last major test before conference action, as Tennessee faces Gardner-Webb and South Carolina State before traveling to Arkansas in the new year. Wake up, Volunteers. Take home the win.