The Louisville Cardinals continue to defy expectations under first-year coach Pat Kelsey. After Saturday's win over Pittsburgh, the Cards have an Atlantic Coast Conference-best seven-game winning streak and sit in second place in the conference standings.
At 23-6 overall and 16-2 in the ACC, UofL has already earned one of four double-byes in the conference tournament starting next week in Charlotte. Kelsey’s Cardinals are also considered a lock to earn an NCAA Tournament bid, regardless of how they fare in the ACC tourney.
Just as we did during the college football season, tracking the Louisville Cardinals bowl chances, BetKentucky is now watching the UofL hoops team and what seed they may earn come Selection Sunday. You won’t find these March Madness odds at licensed Kentucky sports betting operators, like Fanatics Kentucky Sportsbook.
What Seed Will Louisville Be In NCAA Tournament?
Seed | Percentage Chance | Odds |
2 Seed | +5150 | 1.9% |
3 Seed | +715 | 12.3% |
4 Seed | +355 | 22.0% |
5 Seed | +305 | 24.7% |
6 Seed | +400 | 20.0% |
7 Seed | +745 | 11.8% |
8 Seed | +1900 | 5.0% |
9 Seed | +4250 | 2.3% |
The Field | +4500 | 2.2% |
These odds are exclusive to BetKentucky.com and are unavailable on Kentucky sports betting apps.
Louisville has two games remaining in the regular season, with both of those at the KFC Yum! Center. According to KenPom.com, the Cardinals are expected to be favored in those contests.
This week, the Cardinals host ACC newcomers California and Stanford. Cal won its only previous meeting with UofL, a 77-62 victory in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are 2-0 versus the Cardinal, with Louisville’s most recent win, 78-58, taking place in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
Why Louisville’s Seed Will Matter In March
According to TeamRankings.com, Louisville has a 99.9% chance of making the Big Dance for the first time since 2019, that’s up from 99.4% last week. The team’s most likely to end up with a No. 5 or No. 6 seed in one of the four regionals.
While the numbers would indicate a fifth seed would be more advantageous than a sixth seed, that might not be the case this year. Let me explain why.
The 2024-25 college basketball season has featured a lot of parity, with the exception of five or six teams at the top. You likely won’t find much of a difference between a third seed and a sixth seed this year (Good luck filling out your brackets!).
A fourth or fifth-seeded team would be in line to play a top-seeded team in the Sweet 16, giving that team three or four days of rest and preparation. A team seeded second, third, sixth or seventh would not have to face their region’s top seed, assuming the chalk holds, until the Elite Eight, which will be held two days after the Sweet 16.
Any No. 1 seed this year will be a tough team to beat, but the better chance to pull an upset will likely come on short rest.
At Kentucky bet365 sportsbook, Louisville’s odds to win the NCAA Tournament remain at +9000, meaning a $10 bet would return a profit of $900 if the Cardinals cut down the nets in San Antonio on April 7. UofL’s odds to get to the Final Four are +2200.
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USA Today photo by Jordan Prather.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
