#9 Creighton vs #8 Louisville NCAAB Pick: Battle of the Birds (Mar 20)

• Creighton fell to St. John’s in the Big East Championship, losing 82-66.
• Louisville lost to Duke, 73-62, in the ACC Championship, dropping to 27-7.
• These two teams last met on March 11, 1999, in a game that Creighton won 62-58

Creighton and Louisville face off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Both teams were seeded lower than expected and now face a tough fight to earn a second-round game against top seed Auburn. The Cardinals are slight favorites over the Bluejays in this battle of the birds.

Creighton Enters Tourney as Underdogs

Creighton flew under the radar for much of the season in the Big East. They enter the tourney as a 9-seed with aspirations to carve a path to the second weekend. Their first challenge will be a Louisville team with a chip on their shoulder. The Bluejays need to be at their best to win.

Leading the way for Creighton is 5th-year Senior Ryan Kalkbrenner, who averaged just under 20 points per game and 9 rebounds per game. As one of the most developed players in college basketball and a future 1st-round pick, Kalkbrenner will play a key role in how far they advance

Louisville Has a Chip on their Shoulders

Louisville was projected by many to land as a 5-seed or 6-seed in the tournament, though we had them more accurately placed as a 7-seed. Even then, the Cardinals wound up as a lower 8-seed, despite conference rival Clemson landing on the 5-line with a very similar record of 27-6.

A weak strength-of-schedule is to blame for Louisville’s poor placement. Ultimately, each team just to needs to win the game in front of them to advance. Look for James Madison transfer Terrence Edwards Jr. to lead the way for a Cardinals team that should come out playing mad.

Creighton Bluejays vs Louisville Cardinals Pick

Louisville has advantages over Creighton in the metrics and overall record, but didn’t play as tough of a schedule. That being said, I believe the NET is once again underestimating the strength of the ACC. With a full season of ACC games under their belt, the highly-motivated Cardinals will be tough to overcome in this game. Look for Louisville to take down Creighton.