NCAA Tournament Pick: South Region – Creighton vs. Louisville – Thursday, March 20, 2025

The ninth-seed Creighton Bluejays (24-10) and eighth-seed Louisville Cardinals (27-7) square off during the Men’s Basketball Championship opening round in the South Region on Thursday, March 20 at 12:15 PM ET at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. MyBookie has the Cardinals as favorites with a point spread at -2.5 (-110).

Creighton Bluejays Betting Preview

The Bluejays have gone 4-1 in their last five matchups, as they are coming off an 82-66 loss against the sixth-ranked St. John’s Red Storm in the Big East Final. This loss snapped their four-game win streak.

Creighton was up 28-25 at the half, but St. John’s was on fire in the second half when they posted 57 points. These defensive collapses cannot happen in the tournament, or they will be going home early. Ryan Kalkbrenner led with 15 points on 70.0 percent shooting and had seven rebounds.

On offense, the Bluejays are averaging 75.2 points per game and rank 137th in the nation. Their defense allows 69.5 points per game from opponents, ranking 97th. This is a solid margin of error, but they must be more consistent.

The Bluejays are considered to be the 37th-best team overall with their point differential and strength of schedule taken into account. Their efficiency on offense and defense per 100 possessions ranks 107th.

Louisville Cardinals Betting Preview

The Cardinals had their 11-game win streak snapped against the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Tournament Final with a 73-62 outing. The Blue Devils were without star Cooper Flagg, but the Cardinals still offered an exciting performance to be within reach.

Louisville had a slim five-point lead at the half and appeared to have some control in the second. However, Duke began pulling away with a 10-point lead with about 10 minutes remaining. Terrence Edwards Jr. led with 29 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Their offense ranks 68th for accumulating 78.6 points per game. On defense, the Cardinals rank 86th for allowing 68.9 points per game. This is a comfortable margin of error to work with.

The Cardinals rank 24th overall for their strength of schedule and point differential. Their efficiency on offense per 100 possessions ranks 54th, while their defense is not far behind at 57th. This shows they are one of the better teams in the nation with a stronger efficiency on both ends.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie gives you the best Creighton Bluejays vs. Louisville Cardinals betting odds, with the Cardinals as 2.5-point favorites. The Bluejays, however, have a 52.5 percent chance of winning according to market insights. While the Bluejays are appealing, the Cardinals are arguably the better team on both ends of the floor and should be able to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Louisville Cardinals -2.5 (-110)