Furman vs. Virginia Prediction & Odds
Number thirteen seed Furman and #4 seed Virginia head to Orlando to face each other at 12:40 PM ET Thursday afternoon on truTV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Can the Cavaliers cover the 6-point spread as neutral-site favorites?
Furman is 27-7 on the year with their best wins coming over Belmont and South Carolina. Their worst losses came against High Point and the Citadel. The Paladins are 18-13 against the spread this season.
Virginia is 25-7 this season with their best wins coming over Baylor and Duke. Their worst losses came against Boston College and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers are 12-18-2 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
739 Furman Paladins (+6) vs. 740 Virginia Cavaliers (-6); O/U 132
12:40 PM ET, Thursday, March 16, 2023
Amway Center, Orlando, FL
Furman vs. Virginia Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Paladins in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 60% of public bets are on Furman +6. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Furman Game Notes
Furman’s leading scorer is senior guard Mike Bothwell. The 6’3” native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio is averaging 18 points per game on an efficient 51.9% from the field this season. Bothwell leads the Paladins in free throws made and free throws attempted this year and he’s shooting a superb 82.9% from the charity stripe this season.
Furman’s leading rebounder is 6’7” senior forward Jalen Slawson. He’s pulling down 7.1 rebounds per game while averaging 15.7 points per game on 55.6% shooting from the field this year. Bothwell and Slawson will be key if Furman is going to pull off the upset on Thursday.
Virginia Game Notes
Virginia’s leading assist man is senior guard Kihei Clark. The 5’10” Woodland Hills, California native is dishing out 5.4 dimes per game while ranking third on the club in scoring with 10.9 points per game. His tournament experience could help the Cavaliers if this game is close throughout.
The Cavaliers’ leading rebounder is senior forward Jayden Gardner. Gardner is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game for Virginia this season. He’s second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game and is first on the team in field goal percentage (51.5%) among players who average at least 20 minutes per contest.
Furman vs. Virginia CBB Betting Trends
Furman is 22-4 ATS in their last 26 Thursday games.
Furman is 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games overall.
Virginia is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games.
Virginia is 2-6-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
Furman vs. Virginia CBB Prediction:
Furman is one of the hottest teams in college basketball. The Paladins have gone 14-1 straight up in their last 15 games. Virginia has gone just 4-3 in their last 7 games with losses to Boston College and North Carolina on their ledger in that span. This isn’t one of Tony Bennett’s better Virginia teams, and they’ll likely get everything they can handle from an experienced Furman squad on Thursday. Of the Paladins’ top five scorers, four are upperclassmen. All five of Furman’s top scorers shoot over 33% from deep, and that could spell doom for the Cavaliers. Virginia’s pack line defense struggles to defend the three-point shot. Virginia is 178th in the country in opponent three-point shooting percentage, and I think that plays a big role in their downfall. I think Furman either wins the game outright or comes very close, so I’ll take the Paladins and the points.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: FURMAN PALADINS +6
