The No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers (12-0) are off to a hot start and will try to stay unbeaten when they clash against the No. 9 Florida State Seminoles (12-1) at John Paul Jones Arena. The game can be seen on ESPN2 at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Cavaliers Betting Prediction
In the Seminoles’ last matchup, they thoroughly outplayed the Florida Gators, 81-60. Getting to the free throw line was one of Florida State’s largest strengths. They had 34 free throw attempts, while Florida had 21. Florida State was led by PJ Savoy, who was the top scorer from either team with 20 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
The Cavaliers easily got past the Towson Tigers in their last matchup, 73-42. The Cavaliers had a much better turnover percentage (7.5 vs. 20.9) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.574 vs. 0.366). With 13 points and 10 rebounds, De’Andre Hunter put together a good performance for Virginia.
After the Cavaliers won the sole game against the Seminoles last season, 59-55, these teams will clash for the first time this year. Virginia had a much better turnover percentage (9.2 vs. 17.1). Florida State, meanwhile, had a much better free throw rate (0.289 vs. 0.145).
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball security could play an integral role in this contest. Virginia commits the fifth-fewest miscues in the NCAA (turnover percentage of 13.9 percent), while the disruptive defense of Florida State forces the 17th-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 24.5 percent). Furthermore, the Seminoles rank 47th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.283), while the Cavaliers rank 27th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.172).
Florida State Seminoles vs. Virginia Cavaliers Odds Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Florida State, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
Virginia ranks 17th in three pointers allowed per game (18.3) while Florida State ranks 120th (22.4).
The Seminoles rank 20th in steals per game (8.7) while the Cavaliers rank 96th (6.8).
Virginia ranks 39th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while Florida State ranks 88th (3.4).
The Cavaliers rank seventh in rebounds allowed per game (29.1) while the Seminoles rank 26th (31.0).
Virginia allows the second-fewest assists per game (8.1) while Florida State ranks 16th (9.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Seminoles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 17.0, up from 12.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 77.2 points per game (2.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 50.0 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
^^^^^
