The Virginia Cavaliers will try to cover the spread at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday when they get a visit from the Norfolk State Spartans in NCAA basketball action.

The Cavaliers sport records of 21-11 and 17-12-1 ATS heading into this battle, while the Spartans have 21-11 and 2-3 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 13-12 for the Cavaliers and 1-2 for the Spartans.



View Norfolk State vs Virginia Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Cavaliers were listed as 18-point favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark earlier in the day. It opened first at Sportsbook, where the total was expected shortly.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 122-ranked Cavaliers and the No. 147-rated Spartans in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 72-64 win for the Cavaliers on Tuesday.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Virginia's No. 260 nationally ranked offense (64 points per game) against a Spartans defense that sits as the No. 148 at 65.5 PPG. The Cavaliers have been averaging 45.6% from the field, more than the Spartans have managed so far this season (42% on average).

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Norfolk State owns the country's No. 84-rated mark, allowing 66 points per game on the highway. Virginia, on the other hand, rates No. 269 in scoring at home.

Norfolk State was a 70-68 loser in their most recent outing at home against Bethune-Cookman. They failed to cover the 5.5-point spread as favorites. The Spartans endured a 70-68 loss at the hands of the Wildcats on Wednesday, despite a 19-point effort from Pendarvis Williams at Norfolk Scope Arena.

Virginia was a 75-56 loser in their most recent outing at home against North Carolina State. They failed to cover the 1-point spread as underdogs. Virginia got 19 points from Akil Mitchell but lost anyway, 75-56, to North Carolina State on Friday at Greensboro Coliseum.


Virginia Cavaliers Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 8-2
After playing North Carolina State are 5-5
After a loss are 7-3

A few Spartans at Cavaliers trends to consider:
Virginia is 17-1 SU in its last 18 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Virginia's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Virginia's last 12 games
Virginia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games