Villanova Wildcats vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Villanova vs Virginia NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Baltimore.

Villanova vs Virginia Prediction

The Wildcats and Cavaliers are set to face off at 5:00 ET on TNT. The Cavaliers will host the game at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD. In this non-conference matchup, Villanova is favored by -4.5 against Virginia. The over/under for the game is 129.5 points.

Villanova vs. Virginia Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Villanova Wildcats at Virginia Cavaliers
Where: Baltimore at CFG Bank Arena
Date: Friday, November 15th
Betting Odds VILL -4.5, VILL -195 | VIR +161 O/U 129.5

Wildcats Preview: Can the Wildcats Pull Off a Win at Baltimore?

Villanova’s season hit a bump on Tuesday with an 83-76 road loss to Saint Joseph’s. The Wildcats, who went into the game as -2.5 favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

After leading 37-36 at halftime, Villanova allowed 47 points in the 2nd half while scoring 39. The game’s total points reached 159, surpassing the O/U line of 141.5.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Villanova put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 40.9% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 47%, and they hit 87.5% of their free throws, going 14-for-16 from the line. The Wildcats also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 9 assists.

Eric Dixon led the way with 24 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 36.4% overall and 40% from deep. Jhamir Brickus added 22 points on 60% shooting, while Rasheer Fleming contributed 19 points, hitting 77.8% of his shots. Xzayvier Brown struggled from the field, shooting 22.2%, but still managed 18 points and 13 assists.

Wildcats Team Defense

Villanova's defense struggled, giving up 83 points on 43% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 51% of their two-point attempts, with 17 makes out of 33 tries.

From beyond the arc, Villanova's opponent shot 33%, connecting on 9 of 27 three-point attempts. They also sent them to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 88% of their shots. Villanova allowed 7 offensive rebounds.

Cavaliers Preview: Can the Cavaliers Pull the Upset at Home?

Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games

Virginia picked up a 62-45 win over Coppin State on Monday, November 11th. The Cavaliers were heavy favorites at -24.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 107, falling short of the O/U line of 122.5.

Virginia led 32-16 at halftime but allowed Coppin State to score 29 points in the 2nd half while putting up 30 points of their own.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia's offense put up 62 points in their last game, shooting 40.4% from the field. They connected on 9 of 27 three-point attempts, hitting 33.3%, while their effective field goal percentage stood at 50%. At the free-throw line, they were nearly perfect, making 11 of 12 attempts for 91.7%.

Elijah Saunders led the Cavaliers with 15 points, shooting 55.6% overall. Isaac McKneely added 14 points, hitting 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Dai Dai Ames contributed 13 points, shooting 62.5% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Virginia's defense was solid, giving up just 45 points while holding their opponent to 40% shooting from the field. They allowed 12 two-point baskets on 25 attempts, a 48% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Virginia's defense allowed 9 threes on 27 attempts, with their opponent shooting 33% from three-point range. They also sent their opponent to the line 12 times, where they made 11 free throws, a 91% rate. Virginia gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Wildcats vs Cavaliers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Villanova has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 0-3. The team averaged 65 points per game in these games.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Virginia has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 61 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 2-8. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-8.
The last five games that Villanova was favored, they have an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 2-3 straight up.