What channel is Louisville vs. Bellarmine on today? Time, TV, radio schedule for U of L
Louisville men's basketball avoided its worst loss of the Kenny Payne era Sunday with just enough fight, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of free throws.
Up next is an opponent that will test its discipline: Bellarmine.
In order to win consecutive games for just the second time of Payne's tenure, the Cardinals (3-3) must do something they couldn't last season — take down the Knights (2-5), who notched their first victory over a Power Five opponent when they beat U of L, 67-66, in Game 1 of the 2022-23 campaign at the KFC Yum! Center.
The defeat signaled disaster on the horizon for Louisville during what went down as the worst season in modern program history.
"It's a game we marked on our calendar," senior JJ Traynor said Sunday after U of L's overtime win over New Mexico State. "We're going to do everything and our best to prepare for it."
To prepare for Bellarmine is to embrace defending until the shot clock hits zero — every single possession.
Under 19th-year head coach Scott Davenport, the Knights have become known for throwing a flurry of passes and cuts at opposing teams until someone makes a mistake.
"They'll burn you," Payne said.
Davenport brought back 11 players from a squad that went 15-18 last season and, at 9-9, finished tied for eighth in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Louisville will be the fourth Power Five school the Knights have played thus far. Davenport's team lost by 34 to Washington in its season opener but kept within single digits of Kansas State and, most recently, West Virginia.
Bellarmine's wins have come against Bowling Green and Midway College. It played Chattanooga closer on the road, losing 72-64, than U of L did in a 10-point loss to the Mocs at the Yum! Center.
The Knights rank 21st in the country in continuity, per KenPom.com. Six of their eight players averaging 14 or more minutes per game are returners: Alec Pfriem, Ben Johnson, Peter Suder, Bash Wieland, Garrett Tipton and Langdon Hatton. Two transfers, Dezmond McKinney from North Dakota State and Billy Smith from Miami (Ohio), round out the primary rotation.
Johnson, a redshirt sophomore from Lexington, leads Bellarmine in scoring with 13 points per contest on 43.7% shooting from the field and a 40% success rate from beyond the arc. Suder (11.7) is the only other player averaging double digits in the early going.
The Knights are in their fourth and final year of transitioning from the Division II to DI ranks. Per NCAA rules, they are not eligible for the NCAA Tournament until 2025. So tonight's crosstown showdown is about as big as it gets.
Louisville cannot afford to let them head back to the Belknap neighborhood with bragging rights again.
"We gotta win this game," redshirt sophomore Mike James said.
Here's what you need to know to follow along from home:
Louisville basketball vs. Bellarmine start time
U of L and Bellarmine are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Yum! Center.
Louisville vs. Bellarmine basketball betting odds, score prediction
Betting odds: Louisville is a five-point favorite (-112) on DraftKings, which set the over-under at 139 points (-110). The money line odds are: U of L -225, Bellarmine +185.
Score prediction: KenPom gives the Cards a 70% chance of winning and projects a final score of 75-69 in their favor. Bart Torvik is also forecasting a Louisville victory (69%), with a projected final score of 74-69.
What channel is Louisville vs. Bellarmine on today?
The game between the Cards and the Knights will not air on a traditional TV channel.
Kent Taylor (play-by-play) and Jody Demling (analyst) will call the game on ACC Network Extra, which is available exclusively via livestream.
If your cable or live TV streaming package includes ACC Network, you already have access to ACC Network Extra. You can access it via ESPN.com/watch or the ESPN app after logging in with your cable or live TV streaming service credentials.
If you don’t have cable, you can get ACC Network — and therefore ACC Network Extra — through streaming services such as fuboTV (FREE TRIAL) and YouTube TV (FREE TRIAL).
How to listen to Louisville vs. Bellarmine on the radio
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM and WGTK 970 AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville-Bellarmine channel, time, odds, streaming, score prediction
