NCAA Basketball Odds: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Boston College Eagles
by Mike Rose
Two teams that have their sights set on the NIT square off in the first round of the ACC Tournament when the Virginia Cavaliers duke it out with the Boston College Eagles.
The loser of this game will see its NCAA basketball betting season come to a close. If the Eagles prove to be victorious, they will become eligible for postseason play. The Cavs need to win their first two games in this tournament to qualify for a postseason tournament.
Neither one of these teams had a successful ACC season, as Virginia finished up by losing nine straight NCAA basketball betting battles in conference, while Boston College dropped six of its L/9.
The betting line has the Eagles as five-point favorites. BetUS Sportsbook has this line and a 'total' of 123.5 for you to dig into right now!
Virginia Cavaliers (14-15, 10-14 ATS) vs. Boston College Eagles (15-15, 13-13 ATS)
College Basketball Odds:
Virginia Cavaliers +5
Boston College Eagles -5
Game Total 123.5
Virginia's offense has been a crying joke of late. The team hasn't scored more than 68 points in a game in its L/10, averaging just 57.4 points per game in that stretch. Needless to say, this team has failed to cover seven straight NCAA basketball betting affairs.
The only legitimate scoring option for this team was G Sylven Landesberg. The sophomore had his second straight fantastic season in Charlottesville, averaging 17.3 points per game, but he has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to academic issues.
Aside from that, only F Mike Scott (11.9 PPG) is averaging double digits in scoring.
UVA's Princeton-style offense ranks 247th in the nation at just 66.0 points per game, but it is holding teams to 63.9 points per game, which ranks 59th.
Boston College may be coming off of an awful 12-point loss against North Carolina State, but the Eagles are still stockpiled with various scoring options that can take over a game, particularly against poor defensive clubs.
F Joe Trapani (14.6 PPG), G Reggie Jackson (12.7 PPG), F Corey Raji (11.6 PPG), and G Rakim Sanders (10.8 PPG) are all averaging double digits in scoring.
Depth is a key for Boston College. Aside from those four, only G Biko Paris is averaging more than 19 minutes of playing time per game.
The Eagles only averaged 65.1 points per game in ACC play, a far cry from their 69.4 points per game for the duration of the season.
College Basketball Insider Betting Tip : The Cavaliers are just 2-8-2 ATS in their L/12 neutral site games, while Boston College is 13-6 ATS in its L/19 games played on a neutral court.
For no other reason, that bodes well for the Eagles. UVA was beaten in Chestnut Hill 68-55 just eight days ago in the second to last regular season NCAA basketball betting bash for each team.
Boston College simply has more scoring options than Virginia does without Landesberg in the lineup, and that should be enough to carry the Eagles into the second round of the ACC Tournament.
My College Basketball Prediction: Boston College by 9
