The Louisville Cardinals (4-23) visit the Duke Blue Devils (19-8) on Monday night! Action tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with a Louisville-Duke prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Louisville won their fourth game of the season on Saturday as they took down conference heavyweight Clemson to improve to 2-14, although they remain in last place in the ACC. The Cardinals covered 41% of their games while 54% went under the projected point total. Duke has won two straight after a brief skid and sits at 10-6 and in sixth place in the ACC. The Blue Devils covered 37% of their games while 65% went under. This will be the season's first meeting between the conference foes although Duke won and covered each of the last two seasons.

Here are the Louisville-Duke college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Louisville-Duke Odds

Louisville: +18.5 (-115)

Duke: -18.5 (-105)

Over: 137.5 (-110)

Under: 137.5 (-110)

How To Watch Louisville vs. Duke

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Louisville Could Cover The Spread

Louisville has had one of, if not the, worst college basketball seasons in program history. The Cardinals went just 2-9 in non-conference play and have gone 2-14 in the ACC. That being said, Louisville is coming off a home win against Clemson and was noticeably competitive with Virginia and Miami in their two previous games. Even with that, Louisville still projects as one of the worst teams in the country. The Cardinals slot in at No. 278 in KenPom and No. 308 in NET. They have just one win outside of Quad 4 in addition to 10 losses within Quads 3 and 4. Obviously, Louisville does not project to make the NCAA Tournament.

There isn't much Louisville does well on either side of the ball as their statistical profile gives them an argument for the worst team in any of the major conferences. That being said, the Cardinals do possess one factor which could allow them to cover a hefty road spread tonight: El Ellis.

The senior guard has been the lone bright spot on a barren Louisville roster as he leads the team with 18.0 PPG and 4.6 APG. While Ellis is a solid shooter who averages 1.9 threes per game, he is at his best attacking downhill and getting to the free-throw line. He has been on an absolute tear in his last three games, averaging 27.3 PPG and three made threes per game. Over that span, he has gotten to the line 19 times and made 17 of his tries. After carrying the Cardinals to victory on Saturday, look for Ellis to make his mark again tonight.

Why Duke Could Cover The Spread

Duke has been up and down in their first season without Coach K. The Blue Devils started the season strong after being ranked No. 7 in the preseason. They put together a strong non-conference slate where they went 10-2 and picked up wins over Xavier, Ohio State, and Iowa. While they've struggled somewhat against the top-flight ACC competition, Duke has taken care of business against the bottom of the conference. They project favorably within the advanced rankings as well, sitting at No. 34 in KenPom and No. 26 in NET. That is largely thanks to a perfect 12-0 record against Quad 3 and Quad 4 opponents in addition to a strong 5-2 record against Quad 2. With that, the Blue Devils currently project as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke is a defensive-minded team who loves to punish their opposition on the glass with their superior athletes. The Blue Devils rank in the top 30 in points allowed as they give up just 64 PPG. They are especially stingy against the three where they hold opponents to just 30.6% from deep – 28th nationally. They do a great job protecting the rim, ranking 27th in block rate. Offensively, Duke isn't anything to write home about but they do a great job following their shots and getting second-chance opportunities. The Blue Devils rank fifth nationally in offensive rebound rate.

Duke is led by freshman big man Kyle Flipowski. The seven-footer leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with 15.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG. After a rough stretch to open February, the freshman has responded well and averaged 18 and nine in his last two games.

Junior point guard Jeremy Roach is arguably Dyke's most important player considering the level of experience he brings to the floor. As a three-year starter, Roach's contributions can't always be seen in the box score although he does average 12.7 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.5 threes per game.

Final Louisville-Duke Prediction & Pick

Louisville is historically bad this season but they're playing their best ball of the season right now. As a result, they should keep things relatively close after battling some of the conference's top teams.

Final Louisville-Duke Prediction & Pick: Louisville +18.5 (-115)