Ole Miss Stuns No. 1
Lower-Seeded Teams Continue Run
Two of the bracket’s remaining lower-seeded teams will meet in the Sweet 16 in hopes of continuing their tournament run when the Ole Miss Rebels and Louisville Cardinals clash on Friday.
Both Louisville and Ole Miss were responsible for eliminating two of the region’s top four seeds, as the Rebels downed No. 1 Stanford in a tight game while the Cardinals coasted past No. 4 Texas.
Although Louisville was just in this position last year, making it as far as the Final Four, Ole Miss hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2007.
According to College Women’s basketball lines, that experience will be an advantage to the Cardinals, as they are a 2.5-point favorite in the matchup.
Ole Miss Pulls the Upset
The Rebels never trailed Stanford in the Round of 32 in a game that was full of defense and went down to the end.
Ole Miss had a hard time scoring, shooting 29.7% in the win and getting blocked 12 times, but its defense made up for it, also making things difficult for the Cardinal.
Stanford averages 76.5 points on 45.7% shooting, but Ole Miss held the Cardinal to 32.7% shooting and 28.6% from three to finish for 49 points in the game.
The Rebels also turned the Cardinal over 21 times for 24 points, while only two Stanford players scored over eight points.
QUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/LhahFuTmrN
— Ole Miss Women’s BB (@OleMissWBB) March 20, 2023
Ole Miss’ defense has been strong in the NCAA tournament and will need to remain so to propel the Rebels forward.
Louisville Holds Off Texas
Though the Cardinals were solid offensively, it was their defense that really shined in the win over Texas.
The two were tied at 16 after the first quarter, but Louisville went on a run in the second quarter to take a 14-point halftime lead, holding the Longhorns to 20% shooting in the second to do so.
Louisville finished the game holding Texas to 51 points on 34.5% shooting and 1-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.
Texas’ highest scorer had 12 points, while Louisville also caused issues for the Longhorns inside, limiting them to 7-of-22 on layups and outscoring them 38-20 in the paint.
The Cardinals’ defense will continue to be a good complement to their solid offense going forward in the tournament.
According to college basketball lines, Louisville has +13000 odds to win March Madness.
Ole Miss vs Louisville Head-to-Head
This will be the first meeting between the teams.
According to NCAA Women’s basketball lines, Louisville has +310 odds to reach the Final Four while the sportsbook gives Ole Miss +550 odds to do so.
Ole Miss vs Louisville Game Information
- Game: Ole Miss (25-8, 11-5 SEC) vs Louisville (25-11, 12-6 ACC)
- Location: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
- Day/Time: Friday, March 24, 10 p.m. ET
- Ole Miss vs Louisville Live Stream: TBS.com
Ole Miss vs Louisville Betting Lines
Ole Miss vs Louisville Picks and Prediction
Strong defensive teams will match up when Ole Miss and Louisville meet Friday in the Sweet 16.
Though Ole Miss downed No. 1 Stanford due to its strong defense, its offense left something to be desired in the win. Louisville, however, got by Texas with a combination of strong offense and defense, as the Cardinals shot 46.9% in the win. The Rebels may be riding high from their big win, but Louisville’s experience and a strong offense should overpower that of Ole Miss’ and give the Cardinals the win.
The Louisville Cardinals are listed at -160 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Cardinals, you have a chance to win $63. The Ole Miss Rebels are +120, offering a chance to win $120 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Louisville Cardinals a 61.54% chance to win, with the Ole Miss Rebels at 45.45%.
