Unranked Virginia and #11 Tennessee both head to Nassau to face each other on Thursday night. The game is at 9:30 PM ET on CBS Sports Network. Can Tennessee cover the 12.5-point spread as neutral-site favorites? Keep reading for our Virginia vs. Tennessee prediction.
The Virginia Cavaliers are 3-0 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 1-2 ATS this season.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 3-1 ATS this season.
Virginia vs. Tennessee Matchup & Betting Odds
760 Virginia Cavaliers (+12.5) vs. 759 Tennessee Volunteers (-12.5); o/u 125.5
9:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, November 21, 2024
Baha Mar Convention Center, Nassau, Bahamas
TV: CBS Sports Network
Virginia vs. Tennessee Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 61% of public bettors are currently backing Virginia when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Virginia Cavaliers Game Notes
Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely was terrific in his team’s 70-60 win over Villanova last Friday. In 36 minutes of action, the 6’4” junior logged 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. He shot 8 of 9 from the field and 6 of 6 from long distance in the victory.
Virginia forward Jacob Cofie made an impact off the bench in his team’s game on Friday. The 6’10” freshman recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal across 26 minutes of game action. Cofie is averaging 13.0 points per game this season.
Tennessee Volunteers Game Notes
Volunteers forward Igor Milicic Jr. was dominant in his club’s 103-68 blowout win over Austin Peay this past Sunday. In that contest, the Charlotte transfer registered 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocked shots. Milicic shot 11 of 14 from the field in the win. He’s averaging 14.0 points per game on 67.6% shooting this year.
Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey provided a spark off the bench in his team’s win on Sunday. The South Carolina Upstate transfer scored 15 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, doled out 2 assists, and nabbed a steal. He shot 4 of 7 from the floor and 6 of 8 from the foul line to help his team earn the victory.
Virginia vs. Tennessee CBB Betting Trends
Virginia is 6-5 ATS with the rest advantage since the start of last season.
The Cavaliers are 6-5 ATS when playing on 4+ days of rest since the start of last season.
Tennessee is 3-6 ATS in neutral-site games since the beginning of last season.
The under is 41-34-1 in Tennessee’s games since the start of the 2022 season.
Virginia vs. Tennessee CBB Prediction:
Virginia has a new head coach. Tony Bennett retired as the head coach of the Cavaliers just weeks before this season began. Virginia’s interim head coach is Ron Sanchez, who was previously the head coach at Charlotte from 2018 to 2023. He has the Cavaliers out to a 3-0 start this season. The line for this game (12.5 points) is likely high due to concerns about Virginia’s defense with Tony Bennett out of the picture. I doubt that the Cavaliers are going to stop defending just because they have a new coach.
Tennessee is in a bit of a tough spot here. This game is a neutral-site contest in the Bahamas. Tennessee actually played on Sunday and likely left either Monday or Tuesday for this Thursday contest. The Volunteers will be at a slight rest disadvantage in this game. Virginia last played on Friday night, so they’ll have an extra two days of rest going into this contest.
Both of these teams have only played one major conference team so far this year. In both cases, these clubs won by double digits. Virginia beat Villanova 70-60 and Tennessee beat Louisville 77-55. I think Tennessee will have enough trouble scoring to keep this game competitive throughout. I’m taking Virginia and the points in Nassau on Thursday night.