California Golden Bears vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

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

Virginia vs California Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Cavaliers versus the Golden Bears? Tip off is at at 11:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPNU. The game will be played at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, CA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 131.5 points, and California is favored by -3.5 to win at home against Virginia.

Virginia vs. California Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Virginia Cavaliers at California Golden Bears
Where: Berkeley at Haas Pavilion
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Betting Odds CAH -3.5, VIR +156 | CAH -194 O/U 131.5

Cavaliers Preview: Will the Virginia Defense Show Up on the Road?

Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games

Virginia's season record fell to 8-6 after a 70-50 home loss to Louisville on Saturday. The Cavaliers, who entered the game as +5 underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 120 points came in under the O/U line of 130.5.

Virginia trailed 32-27 at halftime and struggled in the second half, scoring just 23 points while allowing 38. This performance highlights their ongoing challenges this season.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia's offense struggled in their last game, managing just 50 points on 37% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.7%, largely due to their poor performance from beyond the arc, where they hit just 5 of 26 attempts (19.2%).

Andrew Rohde and Reyne Smith each contributed 15 points, with Smith connecting on 5 threes at a 50% rate. Aboubacar Traore also added 15 points, shooting 60% from the field and grabbing 8 rebounds in just 16 minutes of play.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Virginia's defense held their opponent to 70 points on 37% shooting from the field. They allowed 15 two-point baskets on 28 attempts, a 53% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Virginia limited their opponent to just 5 made threes on 26 attempts, a 19% shooting performance. They sent the other team to the free-throw line 6 times, where they made 5 free throws, shooting 83%. Virginia also gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Golden Bears Preview: Can the Golden Bears Secure a Win at Home?

California Golden Bears Recent Game/Games

California dropped to 7-7 on the season after an 80-68 road loss to Clemson on Saturday. Despite being +14.5 point underdogs, the Golden Bears kept it closer than expected. The game’s total points of 148 just missed the O/U line of 148.5.

Cal trailed 39-36 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 32 points while allowing 41. Though they covered the spread, the Golden Bears will need to tighten up defensively to get back on track.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

Andrej Stojakovic led the way for California with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting, while Ian Schieffelin added 21 points, hitting 8-of-10 shots from the field. The Golden Bears shot 45.6% as a team, connecting on 6-of-17 from beyond the arc (35.3%) and 10-of-16 from the free-throw line (62.5%).

California finished with just 6 assists and 9 offensive rebounds, with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. Chase Hunter contributed 19 points and 6 assists, and Jovan Blacksher Jr. knocked down 3-of-6 from deep, finishing with 15 points.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California struggled defensively, giving up 80 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 62% from the field. The Golden Bears had a tough time inside, as their opponent hit 71% of their two-point attempts, going 23/32.

From beyond the arc, California's defense allowed 8 threes on 18 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 12 times, where they converted 10 for 83%. The Golden Bears gave up 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cavaliers vs Golden Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, Virginia has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 61 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
Across their last five home contests, California has a 4-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 75 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Cavaliers have gone 1-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-5.
In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Golden Bears have a straight up record of 3-2, while going 2-3 against the spread.