Tuesday's biggest game of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge is a top-five showdown, but it may not be the two teams you think. The best game of the day is not Michigan State vs. Duke, it's No. 1 Louisville vs. newly-minted No. 4 Michigan. Both programs find themselves in unfamiliar territory.
For Michigan, it's the first game all season (and first time under new coach Juwan Howard) it will play as a ranked team. After a week that included wins over North Carolina and Gonzaga, the Wolverines jumped from the ranks of the unranked into the top five. For Louisville, it's its first game as the No. 1 team in the sport since more than a half-decade ago -- when Rick Pitino was at the helm and the Cardinals were the best team in the sport. They won the national championship not long after and validated that ranking.
Can this Louisville team do the same? It's far too early to answer that question, but its 7-0 start is the best since the 2014-15 season -- one that started with promise and ended with a run to the Elite Eight. This Cardinals team has the goods to top that -- and the momentum to keep it rolling on Tuesday.
Storylines
Louisville: Louisville finds itself in a spot it hasn't been in since the 2012-13 season: Ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and looking to defend its top ranking. The Cardinals thus far have yet to be tested save for a close win over Akron last week, but Michigan is no Akron. This is their first test against a ranked opponent.
Michigan: While Louisville's largely gone untested, Michigan has arguably had the toughest schedule of any team in the sport thus far. And it has passed them all. It notched wins over Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga this past week that earned it a top-five ranking. A win on the road over a No. 1 Louisville team would be further validation for what we've already learned this season: Juwan Howard's Wolverines are a real threat to be one of the best teams in the country all season long.
Viewing information
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
TV: ESPN | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Game prediction, picks
Based off how Michigan has played this month, it's nearly impossible for me to pick against it. But pick against it I shall. I think the Wolverines will keep this one close, but with Louisville earning a No. 1 ranking on Monday, I expect Tuesday's atmosphere at the KFC Yum! Center to be absolutely electric. If indeed that's the case, I don't see the Cardinals losing. Pick: Michigan +6
So who wins Michigan vs. Louisville in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge 2019? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Michigan vs. Louisville spread to back on Tuesday, all from the advanced model that has returned $2,770 on its top-rated college basketball picks.
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| LVILLE -6 |  |  | | | |
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