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The No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers (25-7) take on the No. 13 Furman Paladins (27-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, starting at 12:40 PM.
Thursday’s game between the Cavaliers and the Paladins sees the Cavaliers as 5.5-point favorites. The over/under is 131 points for the matchup.
Virginia vs. Furman Odds
Point Spread for Virginia vs. Furman
The spread for this matchup is set at 5.5 points, with oddsmakers listing Virginia as the favorite.
Virginia vs. Furman Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Virginia has -244 odds to pick up the win, while Furman is listed at +200 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 131 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Thursday, March 16, 2023
- Game Time: 12:40 PM ET
- TV Channel: truTV
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Arena: Amway Center
Virginia vs. Furman Betting Trends
Virginia is 13-18-1 against the spread this season. The Cavaliers have come away with 20 wins in the 23 contests they have been listed as the favorites in this season. Virginia’s games this year have hit the over on 16 of 31 set point totals.
In Furman’s 31 games this season, it has 18 wins against the spread. The Paladins are 1-2 in games they were the underdog on the moneyline (winning 33.3% of those games). Furman’s games this year have eclipsed the over/under 54.8% of the time (17 out of 31 games with a set point total).
Virginia vs. Furman Key Players to Watch
Virginia
Reece Beekman puts up 9.4 points, 3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Defensively, he averages 1.8 steals and 0.5 blocked shots. Kihei Clark puts up a team-high 5.4 assists per game. He is also putting up 10.9 points and 2.6 rebounds, shooting 40.2% from the field and 35.6% from downtown with 1.2 made 3-pointers per contest. Jayden Gardner paces his team in rebounds per contest (5.8), and also puts up 12.1 points and 0.7 assists. Defensively, he averages 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocked shots. Armaan Franklin leads his squad in both points (12.5) and assists (1.4) per contest, and also posts 4.2 rebounds. At the other end, he delivers 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocked shots.
Furman
Jalen Slawson is the Paladins’ top rebounder (7.1 per game), and he produces 15.7 points and 3.2 assists. Mike Bothwell is averaging a team-best 18 points per contest. And he is producing 3.5 rebounds and 3 assists, making 51.9% of his shots from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc, with 1.4 triples per contest. JP Pegues is the Paladins’ top assist man (4 per game), and he posts 12 points and 3.8 rebounds. Marcus Foster is posting 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, making 42.6% of his shots from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range, with 1.8 treys per contest.
What you need to know about the Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers sport a top-25 defense this year, ranking sixth-best in college basketball with 60.3 points allowed per game. On offense, they rank 278th with 67.8 points scored per contest. Virginia ranks 301st in college basketball with 29.5 rebounds per game this season. Meanwhile, it ranks 55th with 29 rebounds allowed per contest.
With 6.8 threes per game, Virginia ranks 239th in the country. It owns a 35.3% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which ranks 114th in college basketball. With 7 threes conceded per game, the Cavaliers rank 155th in the country. They are giving up a 34% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which ranks 195th in college basketball.
The Cavaliers are 4-6 against the spread and 7-3 overall in their past 10 games. Virginia has gone over the total in four of its past 10 contests. Virginia has been putting up 63 points per contest in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little lower than the 67.8 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. Virginia has been tougher on the defensive side of the ball lately, giving up 60 points per game over its past 10 contests compared to the 60.3 points per game its opponents average in the 2022-23 season.
What you need to know about the Furman Paladins
In 2022-23, the Paladins are seventh-best in college basketball on offense (82.1 points scored per game) and ranked 214th defensively (71.2 points allowed). On the glass, Furman is 98th in the nation in rebounds (33 per game). It is 110th in rebounds allowed (30.1 per game).
Beyond the arc, Furman is 19th-best in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (9.5). It is 155th in 3-point percentage at 34.7%. Giving up 6.9 3-pointers per game and conceding 33.4% from beyond the arc, the Paladins are 138th and 150th in the nation, respectively, in those categories.
The Paladins have gone 9-1 over their last 10 games, with a 6-4 record against the spread in that span. In its past 10 contests, Furman has hit the over six times. While Furman is averaging 82.1 points per game in 2022-23, it has bettered that mark in its last 10 games, tallying 82.2 a contest. The Paladins have fared better defensively over their past 10 games, surrendering 70 points per contest, 1.2 fewer points than their season average of 71.2 allowed.
Virginia vs. Furman Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this matchup is Virginia, and we predict that Virginia will cover the spread (Virginia -5.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going over the posted total of 131 points.
How to bet Virginia vs. Furman
You can bet on Virginia vs. Furman at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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