Louisville (27-6) vs Duke (30-3)
- When: Mar 15 2025, 8:30 PM
- Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC, USA
- Where to watch: ESPN
ACC Championship Showdown: Duke vs. Louisville
The ACC Championship Game features a high-stakes battle between top-ranked Duke and No. 13 Louisville, both teams vying for conference supremacy and improved seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Duke is chasing its 23rd ACC Tournament title, while Louisville is eyeing its first-ever conference tournament championship since joining the ACC in 2014.
With Cooper Flagg sidelined due to injury, Duke’s depth will be tested, while Louisville looks to cap off a remarkable turnaround after last season’s struggles.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke’s 30-3 record speaks volumes about their dominance this season. They went 19-1 in ACC play, securing the top seed and putting themselves in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, their biggest challenge on Saturday will be navigating the championship game without Cooper Flagg, the ACC Player of the Year, who remains out with an ankle injury.
Duke survived a late scare in the semifinals, holding off rival North Carolina 74-71 after leading by as many as 24 points. With Flagg out, the scoring burden shifted to Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans, who stepped up in clutch moments. Knueppel poured in key baskets late, while Evans added defensive stops to secure the win.
Head coach Jon Scheyer knows his team has depth, but he also acknowledges that playing without Flagg changes the way they close games:
“We had some lineups in there we hadn’t had,” Scheyer said. “Some of the execution and timing probably wasn’t at the level I’d want it to be.”
Despite the adjustment period, Duke remains the betting favorite, largely due to their depth and ability to lock down opponents defensively. They held Louisville to 65 points in their first meeting, a 76-65 road win on Dec. 8, where Duke erased a 14-point deficit to take control in the second half.
Louisville Cardinals
Louisville’s 27-6 record is an impressive turnaround from last season’s 8-24 disaster. First-year head coach Pat Kelsey has quickly changed the culture, guiding the Cardinals to a No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament and now their first-ever ACC Championship appearance.
The Cardinals edged out Clemson 76-73 in a gritty semifinal matchup that Kelsey called “the most physical game I’ve ever coached in.” The challenge now is playing on short rest, with key players Chucky Hepburn, J’Vonne Hadley, and Terrence Edwards Jr. logging 37+ minutes each in the semis.
Fatigue could play a factor, but Hadley emphasized the team’s chemistry and resilience as a driving force:
“It means the world that we get this opportunity. It means we’ve been working for it since we all got together. We have so much further to go.”
Louisville lost its only meeting against Duke this season, but they have plenty of motivation to pull off the upset, especially with Flagg out of the lineup for the Blue Devils. The Cardinals’ defense has been improving, but limiting Duke’s perimeter shooting and keeping energy levels high in the second half will be key.
Betting Prediction
Duke may be without Flagg, but they still have the talent and depth advantage. Louisville has been gritty and resilient, but their short rotation could come back to haunt them late in the game.
Spread Lean: Duke -6.0 (depth and defense should prevail late)
Total Lean: Under 147.5 (Louisville may slow down late due to fatigue)
Key Trend: Duke is 19-1 in ACC play and won their only regular-season meeting by double digits.
Expect Duke’s defense to step up, forcing Louisville into a grind-it-out game where their short rotation might struggle to keep pace.
- NCAAB Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
