Louisville-Boston College preview: Cardinals kick off February in Chestnut Hill

NO. 6 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (18-4, 6-3) At BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES (9-14, 2-8)

Game Time: 3:05 p.m.

Location: Silvio O. Conte Forum

Television: ACC Network (WHAS-11 in Louisville)

Announcers: Mike Gleason (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst)

Officials: Tim Nestor, Jerry Heater, Lamont Simpson

Favorite: Louisville by 14

All-Time Series: Louisville leads 4-3

Last Meeting: Louisville won 79-47 on Feb. 6, 2016 at the KFC Yum Center

Series History:

Probable Starting Lineups:

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

About Boston College:

After going 0-19 in ACC games last season, Boston College enters this weekend with two conference wins and a number of close calls. That said, the Eagles have lost six straight after a 74-66 home win over NC State on Jan. 11.

Sophomore guard Jerome Robinson leads the offensive charge for Jim Christian’s team. Robinson is fourth in the ACC in scoring (19.7 ppg), fourth in steals (1.65 spg) and seventh in minutes played (34.0 mpg). He has scored 20 or more points in 12 games this season. Sophomore A.J. Turner leads the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (3.54; 11th in the nation).

Notable:

—Rick Pitino has a 5-4 record against Boston College (0-3 at Boston University, 3-1 at Providence, 2-0 at Louisville).

—Boston College is just the second team this season that will enter its game against Louisville with a losing record. Long Beach State was the other.

—Louisville is sixth in the nation in field goal defense (.375), seventh in blocked shots (6.1 bpg) fifth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.283), eighth in scoring margin (+15.9) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (14.2).

—Louisville has faced the nation’s second-toughest schedule according to the RPI through games of Feb. 1.

—Louisville has a 52-16 record (.765) in February over the last nine years (since 2007- 08), winning 18 of its last 24 in the month.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 79, Boston College 63