The college basketball season continues with this conference clash on Monday, February 20, and here you can check out the best Cardinals vs. Blue Devils betting pick and odds.

Duke is searching for the third win in a row when they host Louisville at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are 20-point favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at 138 points. These ACC foes will meet for the first time this season.

Cardinals snapped a losing streak

The Louisville Cardinals (4-23, 10-16-1 ATS) suffered 14 losses in 16 games but they did manage to avoid the fifth consecutive defeat with an 83-73 home win over the Clemson Tigers. The Cardinals were quite effective from the field (51.0%) and made even 26 free throws opposite Clemson’s 11, while the hosts controlled the rebounds (37-26). Although Louisville committed 14 turnovers and forced just five on the other end, that didn’t hurt the Cards in this one.

Senior guard El Ellis led the Cardinals with a game-high 28 points and five rebounds. JJ Traynor added 16 points, game-high nine boards, and game-high four blocks, while Mike James had 13 points and four rebounds.

C Emmanuel Okorafor sat out the last game with an ankle issue, and it is undetermined if he will take on Duke on Monday.

Blue Devils destroyed Syracuse on the road

The Duke Blue Devils (19-8, 10-17-0 ATS) responded to a pair of road defeats to the Miami Hurricanes and Virginia Cavaliers with a couple of wins against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Syracuse Orange. The latest win over the Orange on the road was secured with ease as the Blue Devils celebrated a comfortable 77-55 victory. Duke was excellent from the floor (54.5%) and limited Syracuse to only 34.5% from the field. The Blue Devils dominated the boards (38-25) and assists (22-7).

Junior guard Jeremy Roach led the Blue Devils with 17 points. Kyle Filipowski posted a double-double of 14 points and game-high 12 rebounds along with two steals – his 12th double-double of the season. Dariq Whitehead scored 14 points with two thefts off the bench.

Trends:

Louisville:

  • 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall
  • 7-3-1 ATS in the last 11 games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record
  • 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight games following an ATS win

Duke:

  • 3-10 ATS in the last 13 games overall
  • 1-4 ATS in the last 5 home games
  • 0-8 ATS in the last eight games following an ATS win
  • 0-4 ATS in the last four games following a straight-up win of more than 20 points

Louisville Cardinals vs. Duke Blue Devils Pick

Not only that the Blue Devils are one of two ACC teams without a home loss (14-0), but the Cardinals are also one of two winless teams on the road (0-10). Although I expect to stay that way after this duel on Monday, I don’t think the Blue Devils will get another 20+ point win. The last time Duke managed to beat Louisville by a 20-point margin was in 2018. The hosts will probably create a nice lead in the opening half, and I think they will take the foot off the gas pedal in the second 20 minutes as the postseason approaches. That will be an opportunity for the Cardinals to suffer an honorable defeat.

Pick: Take the Cardinals at +21.5 (-130)

The Total

Louisville allows 75.4 points per game and Duke is scoring 71.6 ppg. I am backing the hosts to score around 75 in this one, which is a realistic expectation as the Cards conceded 73 in four of their previous four games. The visitors should contribute at least 60 points. Over is 4-1 in the Cardinals’ last five overall; Over is 5-0-1 in Louisville’s previous six road games, while Over is 20-8-2 in the Blue Devils’ last 30 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Pick: Go Over 136.5 points (-130)