As always, staff writers Ty Spalding and Travis Graf give their best guess at what happens in tonight’s contest against the Duke Blue Devils.

Spalding: A combination of defenders slow down Matthew Hurt. In the first meeting, Louisville tried Quinn Slazinski first on Hurt, and the talented big man scorched Louisville in the first half. In the second half, Louisville threw David Johnson at Hurt, which was much more successful. Does Louisville try someone like Jae'Lyn Withers or Malik Williams? I worry that Johnson may get in foul trouble trying to defend a taller Hurt.

Graf: They get to the line on the road. Duke averages four less free throw attempts per game than their opponents. The Blue Devils aren’t a very good defensive team. Carlik Jones and David Johnson should be able to get to the paint and score without much resistance.

Spalding: The supporting cast doesn't produce. In the Notre Dame game, Louisville had five players score in double figures. If guys like Samuell Williamson, Jae'Lyn Withers, and others have off nights, I don't think Carlik Jones and David Johnson can carry Louisville to a victory.

Graf: The Cards settle for outside shots. Like I said, Duke isn’t very good defensively and Louisville should be able to put pressure on their wing defenders. The wrong guys taking the wrong shots in this matchup could doom the Cards. If Duke is able to score in the paint rather than off of their typical jump shots, that hurts Louisville’s chances as well.

Spalding: I'm really interested to see who the starting lineup is for Louisville in this one. With David Johnson out, Chris Mack inserted Malik Williams and slid Withers down to the four. Does Mack go with Jones, Johnson, Williamson, Withers, and Williams? Or does he go with the lineup that has started most of the year? I think he goes with the first lineup, and Louisville gets a resume boosting win on the road, 73-68 behind a big performance from David Johnson, who likes playing at Cameron Indoor.

Graf: With Louisville somewhat having their legs under them again after a long lay off, look for them to take it to Duke early in this one. If Louisville gets off to a good start, it sets the tone for the whole game and Duke melts. On paper, Louisville is a bad matchup for the Blue Devils, but will the COVID lay off still be too tall of a task for the Cards to overcome? I think not. Carlik Jones leads all scorers with 20 and Malik Williams adds 10, while the Cards win 67 to 60.