Published Mar 18, 5:29pm ET by
Keith McCarthy - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 18, 5:29pm ET
Updated Mar 18, 5:30pm ET
South Florida and Louisville meet in an exciting first round matchup. The Bulls will put their winning streak to the test against Louisville. They face an uphill battle in this one but hold upset potential.
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| Louisville Cardinals | -200 |
| South Florida Bulls | +165 |
South Florida surged through American conference play, going 18-3 against American opponents through the conference tournament. They've won 11 games in a row and enter the tourney as one of the hottest teams in the country. The Bulls have a balanced attack led by leading-scorer Wes Enis, who is averaging 23.4 points per game across his last five games. South Florida will need to be at their very best to pull off the upset here.
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Louisville is flying a bit under the radar for a team that finished in the top-15 in the key metrics. The Cardinals landed a 6-seed but have the resume of a 4 or 5-seed from years prior. Leading the way is Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell, who averages over 18 points per game. Conwell is an efficient scorer but has cooled off from 3-point range as of late. He'll need to find his shot from beyond the arc to give Louisville the best chance at winning.
The Bulls are a popular pick to pull off the upset in this game and keep their win streak going. Against a weaker 6-seed, I would have felt confident to take them. Unfortunately for South Florida, Louisville is a strong all-around team flying under the radar. The Cardinals have the ability to wear opponents down and should emerge from this one with a victory after pulling away late. A second weekend trip may even be in the cards.
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Pick
Louisville Cardinals (-200)
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