The Virginia Cavaliers missed a chance to move to No. 1 in the country when it lost in an upset to Virginia Tech last time out. They will aim to bounce back next time out, but face a tough task when they hit the road to take on the Miami Hurricanes.
Virginia was undefeated in ACC play until the last-second loss to the Hokies but still leads the conference by two games in the loss column. The defeat was a momentary blip and the Cavaliers should be just fine moving forward.
Miami has won three straight games and could really boost its stock for the NCAA Tournament with an upset win in this game. Even though Miami is at home it will likely be getting a few points because Virginia has such a strong team.
At 10 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at the Watsco Center.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Virginia is 23-2 straight up and 16-5-1 against the spread. The Cavaliers have been great on the road this season, covering in seven of eight attempts. They have gone 15-4-1 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Miami is 18-6 straight up and 10-12 against the spread. The Hurricanes have not been great at home, covering on only two of their eight games there. The Hurricanes have covered in half of their six games as the underdog this season.
Key Stat
52.8. That’s the number of points per game Virginia is allowing this season, which is the best mark in college basketball. The Cavaliers play well-disciplined ball and do a great job of sticking to the opposing teams’ best players like glue.
Virginia prefers to slow the game down and remain in the halfcourt set as often as possible, and Miami will need to work hard at pushing the tempo. The Cavaliers have not allowed any team to reach 70 points in a game this season, and no one in the conference has even surpassed 64 points.
Many of the best teams in the country have made their hay with elite athletes and great offense, but Virginia is doing its damage by locking down on the other side of the floor. Even in the loss last time out to Virginia Tech, it took the Hokies overtime to reach 61 points.
Injury Report
Miami will be without a key player as Bruce Brown Jr. recently underwent foot surgery. The sophomore guard has missed the past five games and is expected out for a few more weeks. He is averaging 11.4 points, 7,.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and an argument can be made that he is the team’s best player.
It is a big loss for the Hurricanes and makes the idea of pulling off this upset less palatable. Miami will lean harder on Dean Huell and Lonnie Walker IV to carry the load. Huell leads the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game while shooting a sparkling 58.6 percent from the field.
Walker adds 11.3 points per contest for Miami. The Hurricanes have solid depth but will no doubt miss Brown for the stretch that he is out.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
MIami is a good team playing at home, so it’s never smart to dismiss the chances of a team like that, even against one of the best squads in the nation. Nevertheless, Virginia is the choice to win this game as the Cavaliers will be aiming to bounce back after a close loss last time out.
The Hurricanes don’t have the type of game-changing guard to help create space on offense, which will allow Virginia to really crack down on defense and control this game. The Cavaliers should also be a consideration against the spread,while the “under” could hit even though the scoring total is expected to be quite low in this game.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Virginia 67, Miami 59
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