We kick off the 2025 NCAA Tournament with a major 8/9 Louisville vs Creighton matchup. After a strong showing in the ACC Tournament, it feels like Louisville got under-seeded with an eight. While that narrative is going around, the same can probably be said about Creighton, who comes into the NCAA Tournament at nine, after making the Big East championship.
Below, we will preview this March Madness college basketball game, giving the Louisville vs Creighton overview, trends and our expert pick! Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
CLICK HERE for new ways to fill out your March Madness bracket!
Louisville vs Creighton Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2025 NCAA Tournament
No. 8 Louisville Cardinals (27-7) vs. No. 9 Creighton Blue Jays (24-10)
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 12:15 PM EST
Venue: Rupp Arena — Lexington, KY
Coverage: CBS
Get your printable March Madness bracket
Louisville vs Creighton March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Louisville vs Creighton can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: LOU: (-145) | CRE: (+125)
Point Spread: LOU: -2.5 (-110) | CRE: +2.5 (-110)
Total: 146 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Louisville | 23 | 118.2 (29) | 95.5 (21) | 68.8 (91) |
| Creighton | 36 | 116.9 (34) | 98.3 (43) | 67.1 (192) |
Louisville vs Creighton College Basketball Trends
- Louisville is 4-1 in their last five games.
- Creighton is 4-1 in their last five games.
- Louisville is 7-4 in non-conference play this season.
- Creighton is 7-4 in non-conference play this season.
- Louisville has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
- Creighton is 8-4 in NCAA Tournament games since 2020.
Louisville vs Creighton Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
When looking at picking between these two March Madness teams, as many 8/9 games are, it is difficult to make the decision. Especially in this game, Louisville and Creighton are somewhat similar teams. Both teams rely on their guards to push the offense while playing decently on the defensive side of the ball.
For Louisville, looking at their schedule, it is nothing to be impressed by. Playing in the ACC, you only get the chance to play a quality opponent every couple of weeks. Against the other three tournament teams from the ACC, the Cardinals have wins over Clemson (2x) and North Carolina, losing both of their matchups against Duke. In the non-conference, they lost to Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Kentucky, with their only good win coming against Indiana. The Cardinals are led by ACC Defensive Player of the Year Chucky Hepburn, who averages 16.2 points per game (PPG) and 5.8 assists per game (APG). He is the second-leading scorer to Terrence Edwards Jr., who scores 16.6 PPG.
For Creighton, the Blue Jays had much tougher competition all season long, playing in the Big East. In their non-conference schedule, the Blue Jays took down Kansas but lost to Texas A&M, San Diego State, Nebraska, Alabama and Georgetown. In the Big East, Creighton split the regular season matchups with Marquette, UConn, St. Johns and Xavier. In the Big East Tournament, they took down the Huskies but lost to the Red Storm. The Blue Jays return Ryan Kalkbrenner, who scores 19.4 PPG and comes away with just short of three blocks per game. Steven Ashworth and Pop Isaacs round out the three-headed scoring threat, as they average 16.3 PPG a piece.
For our Louisville vs Creighton prediction, we are picking the Creighton Blue Jays to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament. Just based on their strength of schedule, it seems like Creighton is more battle-tested from the tournament, along with having the better coach and best player on the court in Kalkbrenner.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
