Ohio Bobcats vs Virginia Cavaliers Betting Picks, Lines, Odds, & Predictions
Having overcome the Covid-19 issues, No. 4 seed Virginia will finally step to the NCAAB betting court on Saturday to take on No. 13 seed Ohio. After the 2019 title, the Cavaliers are still the last school to win the championship. As we all know, the last year’s tournament was canceled. A year before winning it all, Virginia became the first-ever No. 1 seed to lose in the first round. The Cavaliers were on a 15-3 run before going 3-3 in their last 6 games.
Ohio enters the tournament having won 9 out of the last 10 games. Their ATS record during that streak also stands at 9-1. The Bobcats dominated the MAC tournament winning three games by a total margin of 44 points. In the final game, they convincingly beat Buffalo 84-69. This will be their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
Ohio Bobcats vs Virginia Cavaliers Betting Line Movement
The opening NCAAB betting odds favored Virginia as high as -10. Amid the Covid-related news, bettors quickly jumped on this line causing it to drop all the way to -7. The total hasn’t moved much since Selection Sunday, settling at 131.
Notes On The Ohio Bobcats
The Bobcats are one of the favorite picks to pull of an upset this year. They may play in the weak MAC, but in their biggest non-conference game this year, they managed to hang with Illinois losing only by two points. Unlike Virginia, Ohio likes to push the pace and can score in bunches. They averaged over 80 points per game throughout the season. In their three MAC tournament wins, coach Boals’ team scored 85, 87, and 84 points. Still, on Saturday, they’re facing probably the toughest defense they’ve seen all season.
Although the Bobcats have five players averaging double digits, much of their success depends on the junior guard Jason Preston. He averages 16.6 points this season. In the MAC tournament, Preston raised his game even higher, scoring 23 points per game.
Notes On The Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers were the last team to arrive in Indianapolis and Saturday’s matchup will be their first game in nine days. They were forced to drop out of the ACC tournament due to Covid-19 protocols. Perhaps more importantly, they couldn’t practice until Friday. We’re yet to see what impact, if any, it will have on their performance. Virginia is still technically the reigning champion, but the personnel has changed a lot since the 2019 final game. However, it’s still a classic Tony Bennet-led team. They play at a snail-like pace, ranking dead-last in the nation in that department. Virginia slowly grinds down their opponents and wins games with an uber-efficient offense and elite, hard-nosed defense.
The key players for Virginia are two seniors. Marquette transfer Sam Hauser leads the team in scoring averaging 16.0 ppg while Jay Huff is second with 13.1. Hauser and Huff are also leading rebounders with 6.7 and 7.1 rpg, respectively.
Ohio Bobcats vs Virginia Cavaliers Betting Pick: Ohio +7
The Bobcats will look to push the ball as much as possible and impose their style of NCAAB betting play. They will be hoping to take advantage of the Cavaliers’ lack of preparation. But, even if they fall into Virginia’s slow-grind machine, it will likely result in a low-scoring game enabling them to cover.
