Kentucky Wildcats vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction & Match Preview - December 26, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The Louisville Cardinals will host the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. Aside from the National Championship, no game matters more for these two in-state rival teams each season. Both coaches and players will prepare to bring their best to earn their bragging rights in the battle of the bluegrass state.

Kentucky leads the overall series over Louisville 37-15 and won the latest competition between the two in 2019.

Match Details

Fixture: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Saturday, December 26th, 1 PM ET

Venue: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky

---

Louisville Cardinals Preview

The Louisville Cardinals seemed to knock the rust off against the Pittsburgh Panthers after their 37 point loss to the Wisconsin Badgers that came after an 18-day delay due to COVID-19 complications.

Wire-to-Wire W!ACC Record: 1-0#GoCards pic.twitter.com/MzSz5SN8de

— Louisville Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) December 23, 2020

A concerning trend that the Cardinals have shown after their COVID-19 hiatus is their turnovers. Louisville has an average of 17.5 turnovers in their last two outings after averaging just 10.5 thru their first four games.

For the Louisville Cardinals to climb back in the overall series and beat their in-state rivals, the Kentucky Wildcats, they will need to take care of the ball.

Key Player - David Johnson

Louisville v Virginia

The key player for the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon will be David Johnson. The sophomore recorded his first career double-double last outing by scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. If Johnson can provide another strong scoring outing to go along with Carlik Jones's average of 16 points, then the Cardinals will be in great shape again the Wildcats.

Louisville Cardinals Predicted Lineup

Jae'Lyn Withers, Samuell Williamson, Dre Davis, Carlik Jones, David Johnson

---

Kentucky Wildcats Preview

The Kentucky Wildcats have had their worst start as a program since the 1926-27 season and haven't won a game since their season opener against Morehead State.

The young Wildcats have become overwhelmed by emotions due to the disappointment that the season has been to this point. Forward Cam'Ron Fletcher was seen emotional on the bench during their last loss from the North Carolina Tar Heels. Fletcher later went on to say that his "emotions peaked," via Louisville Report.

"Do you have the mental toughness to fight when it’s not going your way?"@IQ_GodSon 😼🏀 pic.twitter.com/FC5nGrl9rI

— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 19, 2020

Asides from the emotional whirlwind circulating through the young Wildcats, one of the main problems is their ability to put the ball in the basket. Kentucky ranks 271st in offensive production, averaging just 65.8 points a game.

The Kentucky Wildcats, led by John Calipari, will need to show their mental toughness and improve their offensive efficiency to bounce back against their rival, the Lousiville Cardinals.

Key Player - Brandon Boston Jr.

Kentucky Bluegrass Showcase

The key player for the Kentucky Wildcats is Brandon Boston Jr. The five-star recruit was named to the preseason First Team All-SEC is the leading score with 14.5 points a game. The issue is that the freshman guard is shooting just 37.9 percent.

Boston Jr. will need to notch up his performance and become more efficient to upset the Lousiville Cardinals.

Kentucky Wildcats Predicted Lineup

Olivier Sarr, Isaiah Jackson, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Terrance Clarke

---

Kentucky vs. Louisville Prediction

The Louisville Cardinals will provide their fans a late Christmas gift with a win against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night.

Where to watch Kentucky vs. Louisville

The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.