Louisville vs. Kentucky preview: Cards and Cats clash in annual rivalry game

Louisville Cardinals (2-11, 0-3) at Kentucky Wildcats (8-4, 0-1)

Battle for the Bluegrass

Game Time: Noon

Location: Rupp Arena: Lexington, Ky.

Television: CBS

Announcers: Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), Jay Wright (analyst)

Favorite: Kentucky by 23.5

Series: Kentucky leads, 37-17

Last Meeting: Louisville won 62-59 on Dec. 23, 2020 in Louisville

Series History:

Probable Starting Lineups:

Statistics:

Kentucky’s Season to Date:

Relevant Videos:

About Kentucky:

They haven’t beaten Louisville since before Covid existed.

Notable:

—Kentucky hasn’t beaten Louisville in men’s basketball since before Covid existed.

—Favorites have failed to cover the spread in nine of the last 13 meetings between these two teams.

—John Calipari is 17-8 against Louisville overall, and 11-3 against the Cards as the head coach of Kentucky.

—Louisville has won 19 of its last 27 games played immediately after Christmas.

—Louisville and Kentucky did not play last season due to Covid issues within the U of L team. It was the first year since 1982 that the rivals didn’t meet.

—Louisville head coach Kenny Payne spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach and later associate head coach at Kentucky from 2010-20 under coach John Calipari. The Wildcats went a combined 295-73 during Payne’s time with the program.

—At 2-11, Louisville is off to its worst start since the 1940-41 season.

—Kentucky is 27-27 in its 54 most-recent games vs. power-conference competition dating back to the final week of the 2019-20 regular season.

—Louisville is 5-26 over its last 31 games dating back to last season.

—As Kentucky’s head coach, John Calipari is 22-3 against other programs from the state of Kentucky.

—Louisville has not beaten Kentucky inside Rupp Arena since 2008.

—Louisville has lost its last six games against AP top 25 opponents, and are 0-3 in such games this season. The Cards’ last victory against a ranked foe came against Virginia Tech on Jan. 6, 2021.

—The team that has won the battle of the shooting percentages has won 12 of the last 14 games in this series.

—Louisville is 218-13 over the last 20 seasons and 15-1 over the last three when scoring 80 points or more. The Cards have eclipsed the 80-point mark just once this season.

—Louisville is 14-0 over the past 10 seasons when limiting opponents to no more than one three-point field goal.

—Since 2004, Louisville is 128-0 when leading by more than 10 points at halftime.

—Louisville has won 162 consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.

—Louisville has won 157 consecutive games when scoring at least 85 points in regulation.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Kentucky 79, Louisville 56