The Louisville Cardinals were knocked out of the ACC Tournament in the first round, losing 70-60 to North Carolina. They open the NCAA Tournament as a single-digit favorite against the UC-Irvine Anteaters, who posted the second best record in the Big West Conference. I don't think Louisville is getting enough respect here, and I like the favorite.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - The Cardinals are well coached, and have a history of success in the tournament. They have covered the spread in 10 of their last 14 NCAA Tournament games.

2. One Trick Pony - The Anteaters rely heavily on their 7'6" center Mamadou Ndiaye, who is the tallest player in the country. He's scored in single-digits in two of his last three games, and you can bet Pitino will have a plan to neutralize the opposition Big Man. "We see his conditioning is nowhere what ours is, so we're going to make him run a lot," says Montrezl Harrell.

3. X-Factor - The Cardinals are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 neutral site games.

Selection: This is a play on the Louisville Cardinals (10*)