Florida State at Louisville 1/18/21 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

By: Lance |

Last Updated: 01/17/2021 at 11:52 PM ET

The Florida State Seminoles will be looking for their third straight win when they travel on the road to the KFC Yum! Center to take on the Louisville Cardinals. Florida State is coming off wins at home over NC State and then beating North Carolina 82-75 to improve to 7-2 on the year. Louisville had a six-game win streak snapped with a road-loss to Miami, dropping the Cardinals to 9-2 on the year. 

Florida State is athletic and loves to push the tempo on the offensive end averaging 79.1 points per game ranking 64th in scoring offense. The Seminoles shoot 46.8% from the field as a team and 38.2% from beyond the arc, the 41st three-point shooting percentage in the country. Florida State is balanced in scoring but the offense has leaned on MJ Walker when it needs a basket most. 

Walker is putting up 16.3 points per game on some solid percentages shooting 46% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc. The senior guard has started 68 games in his four years on campus and looks to have taken a step forward this season, improving his shooting numbers across the board. Freshman guard Scottie Barnes, the 5th recruit in the class of 2020, is dishing out a team-high 4.1 assists and adding 11.1 points per game. 

Louisville plays at the 293rd fastest pace in the country leading to them averaging 71.2 points per game ranking 204th in the nation in scoring offense. They’ve been efficient for the most part, shooting 47.3% from the field but have struggled from three on the year, taking the 324th most attempts and making 33% of shots from beyond the arc. 

The backcourt has been solid for Louisville led by senior guard Carlik Jones. Jones is averaging a team-high with 18 points and 4.9 assists and is second on the team in rebounding with 6.2 per contest. Sophomore guard David Johnson is averaging 12.9 points and 4.1 assists per game, behind just Jones, and has been one of the few with the ability to shoot the three, shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc.

Louisville is allowing 64.4 points per game ranking 52nd in the country in scoring defense, whilst holding opponents to just 39.8% from the field. The Cardinals are 40th in KenPom adjusted defense and their slow pace of play has been difficult for opponents to navigate through. Florida State is allowing 69.7 points per game ranking 161st in the country in scoring offense, the Seminoles hold opponents to 40.6% from the field and are 44th in KenPom adjusted offense.

With Louisville coming off a loss, this could be a huge bounce-back win for their resume and for seeding in the ACC tournament. These teams are evenly matched but the Cardinals are able to slow the pace down and limit Florida State shots on their way to a low-scoring win on their home floor. Florida State has yet to win a road game this year and the Seminoles continue to struggle away from home with a loss. Final score prediction, Louisville wins and covers ATS 73-68. 

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