North Carolina State Wolfpack vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

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

North Carolina State vs Virginia Prediction

Looking to win big? The Wolfpack and Cavaliers face off at 12:00 ET on ESPN2. The Cavaliers are hosting the game at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 121.5 points, and Virginia is favored by -1.5 to win at home against North Carolina State.

North Carolina State vs. Virginia Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: North Carolina State Wolfpack at Virginia Cavaliers
Where: Charlottesville at John Paul Jones Arena
Date: Tuesday, December 31st
Betting Odds VIR -1.5, NCST -109 | VIR -113 O/U 121.5

Wolfpack Preview: Does North Carolina State Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

North Carolina State improved to 8-4 on the season with an 89-63 home win over Rider on Sunday, December 22nd. The Wolfpack entered the game as -18.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 152 exceeded the O/U line of 133.5.

NC State dominated the first half, leading 52-23 at the break. However, they allowed Rider to score 40 points in the 2nd half while putting up 37 points of their own.

Wolfpack Offense Breakdown

NC State's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 89 points while shooting 55.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.5%, thanks in large part to their 68.8% shooting inside the arc.

They also hit 7 threes at a 35% clip and went 24/34 from the free-throw line. The Wolfpack dished out 21 assists, with Marcus Hill leading the way with 6. Jay Alvarez and T.J. Weeks Jr. both scored 17 points, with Alvarez adding 8 rebounds.

Wolfpack Team Defense

Even with North Carolina State's defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 63 points. The Wolfpack gave up a 55% shooting performance, including 68% from two-point range, as their opponent hit 22 of 32 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, North Carolina State allowed 7 threes on 20 attempts, a 35% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 34 times, where they converted 24 free throws, shooting 70%. The Wolfpack gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Cavaliers Preview: Can The Cavaliers Secure a Home Victory?

Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games

Virginia improved to 7-5 on the season with a 63-58 win over American on Sunday, December 22nd. The Cavaliers were at home and entered the game as -13 point favorites.

Virginia led 32-28 at halftime and outscored American 31-30 in the 2nd half. The combined points of 121 narrowly went over the O/U line of 119.5, but Virginia did not cover the spread.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia put up 63 points in their last game, shooting 46% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54%. They connected on 42.1% of their three-point attempts, hitting 8 of 19 from deep, while going 15/31 (48.4%) on two-point shots. At the free-throw line, they made 9 of 14 attempts, good for 64.3%.

Elijah Saunders led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 7/9 from the field. Matt Mayock added 16 points, hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Virginia finished with 17 assists and 6 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Virginia's defense gave up 58 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 46% from the field. They allowed 15 two-point field goals on 31 attempts, a 48% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, the opposition hit 8 of 19 threes, shooting 42%. Virginia also sent them to the line 14 times, where they made 9 free throws, a 64% rate. The Cavaliers gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Wolfpack vs Cavaliers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, North Carolina State has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 62 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Across the Cavaliers last three home games, the team averaged 54 points per game while allowing 71. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 0-3, while going 0-3 straight-up.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Wolfpack have a straight up record of 5-5. Their record vs the spread in these games was 5-5.
The last ten games that Virginia was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 9-1 straight up.