The Duke Blue Devils and the Louisville Cardinals meet Saturday in college basketball action from KFC Yum! Center. 

Duke enters this one at 5-4 so far. The Blue Devils have lost consecutive games to Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. As for Louisville, they’re 9-3 this season. The Cardinals have also lost consecutive games to Miami and Florida State. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place. 

Duke has had a rough season to say the least. The Blue Devils opened the year at 2-2 with wins over Coppin State and Bellarmine alongside losses to Michigan State and Illinois. Duke then won three straight games to get some life back but they’ve fallen in their last pair to Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. 

In Tuesday’s 79-73 loss to the Panthers, Duke’s Jalen Johnson led the team on 24 points with 15 rebounds and seven assists in 33 minutes of play. Wendell Moore added 15 points with four boards and two assists, and Matthew Hurt had 13 points with three assets and six rebounds. 

Over on the Louisville side, they started out the season at 4-0 before a loss to Wisconsin. After winning five straight over Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest, the Cardinals have fallen to Miami and Florida State in their last two outings. 

In Monday’s 78-65 loss to the Seminoles, Louisville’s Carlik Jones put up 17 points with three assists and two rebounds, while David Johnson put up 15 points, eight rebounds and one assist. Jae’Lyn Withers added 14 points with nine boards for the Cardinals as well. 

The Cardinals are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games and 1-3-1 ATS in their last five Saturday games. Louisville is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 after an ATS loss and the over is 4-0 in their last four overall. 

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils are 1-7 ATS in their last eight road games and 0-4 ATS in their last four games overall. Duke is 1-6 ATS in their last seven after an ATS loss and the over is 17-7-1 in their last 25 overall. 

PICK: I’m going to try out Duke here but probably staying away; it’s just tough to trust the Blue Devils right now. In any case, the Cardinals are coming off a flat loss to the Seminoles, falling behind 42-28 at halftime and not getting much closer afterward. Duke shot just 38.6 percent from the floor in their last game versus Pitt, and they were down 43-34 at the half themselves. Both these teams really need a decisive win, and it’s probably not going to be pretty. I like the Devils a little better still, but that generosity is fading fast.