UMBC vs. Virginia Pick
Can No. 1 Virginia put up enough points to cover a 20-point spread against No. 16 UMBC tonight in the NCAA Tournament?
Game Snapshot
NCAA Tournament South Region: (863) Maryland-Baltimore County vs. (864) Virginia
Friday, March 16, 2018
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
TV: TNT, 9:20PM ET
Who Oddsmakers Like: Virginia. According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Cavaliers are the overwhelming favorite in this game, as UVA is getting odds of -20.5 points against UMBC. The spread actually opened with Virginia as a 22.5-point favorite, but has been falling back over the week. The over/under total sits at 120 points after it opened at 121.5 points.
Who Public Bettors Like: Virginia as well. As of Friday afternoon, the Cavaliers are getting 63 percent of the wagers for this game despite being such a big favorite.
Injury Report: While UMBC doesn’t have anyone listed on the injury report for this game, Virginia suffered a big blow this week when it was announced that De’Andre Hunter will miss the tournament after suffering a broken wrist during the ACC Tournament last week. Hunter was the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year as he averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Cavs this season.
Bet on College Basketball for Friday, March 16, 2018
Who We Like: Such a big spread for a Virginia team is always a little nerve-wracking. The Cavaliers are the top defensive team in the country, but average just 67.5 per game on offense. Still, the Cavs have been very good at the betting window this year, going 20-9-1 against the spread overall and 13-3 ATS in non-home games. Friday night’s game is in Virginia, but still not the Cavs’ home floor. I think the Retrievers of UMBC are going to have their hands full trying to score. They don’t have great offensive numbers as is against much lesser competition. Despite the big spread, I expect Virginia to look good tonight.
NCAA TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS: VIRGINIA -20.5