Final Odds & Betting Lines: Louisville Favored vs Creighton in March Madness Opener
The #9 Creighton Bluejays (24-10) face the #8 Louisville Cardinals (27-7) in the South Region's opening round of March Madness. The game tips off at 12:15 pm ET at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Basketball player dribbles past defender
Latest Odds (as of 9:45 am ET, March 20):
- Spread: Louisville -3.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Louisville opened at -142, has since moved in Cardinals' favor
- Total: 145.5 points
Key Statistics:
- Creighton ATS Record: 19-13-2 (59.4% cover rate)
- Louisville ATS Record: 20-14 (58.8% cover rate)
- KenPom Rankings: Louisville #21, Creighton #36
Location Advantage:
- Louisville is just one hour from Lexington
- Cardinals are 10-0 in their last home games
- 2-1 in neutral-court games (lone loss to Duke in ACC final)
Analytics Projections:
- KenPom: Louisville by 3
- Torvik: Louisville by 3
- Haslametrics: Louisville by 1.5
The odds movement favoring Louisville likely reflects their quasi-home court advantage in Lexington. The Cardinals haven't lost in Kentucky since December 14 (93-85 vs Kentucky), and the crowd is expected to heavily favor Louisville despite being officially designated as a neutral site game.
The Cardinals have exceeded expectations under first-year coach Pat Kelsey, rising from 64th to 21st in KenPom rankings this season. Both teams have proven profitable against the spread, with nearly identical cover rates around 59%.