No. 1 overall Virginia opens its tourney vs UMBC

The No. 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers will tip off their quest for their first national title when they face the 16 seed UMBC Retrievers on Friday. The Cavs were head and shoulders the best team in the country this season and opened as overwhelming 22.5-point favorites to make quick work of the Retrievers.

SHARK BITES
  • UMBC is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven games in March.
  • The total has gone UNDER in three of UMBC’s last four games as an underdog.
  • Virginia is 4-4 ATS in its last eight games.

The Cavaliers led the ACC standings all season with their only two losses coming to West Virginia and Virginia Tech. Virginia’s defense is its calling card but offensively, the Cavaliers are now a force with Kyle Guy, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome all averaging double figures.

Spread bettors may want to latch on to Virginia in this matchup as the Cavaliers are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games as a double-digit favorite. Click here for an in-depth preview of Virginia’s chances to win the national championship.

As for UMBC, this is its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and as a 16 seed may not have much of a hope to rattle the Cavaliers. The Retrievers have lost 14 straight games vs ACC opponents and a 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed in this tourney.

UMBC punched its ticket into the postseason with a victory over Vermont in the America East Conference championship and will be led by Jairus Lyles, who averaged 20 points per game for the Retrievers.

The total opened at 122 and any time Virginia is involved, the UNDER should be seriously considered. The Cavaliers hold teams to 53.4 points per game and the UNDER has hit in 20 of their 30 games this season.

UMBC Retrievers vs Virginia Cavaliers Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The Virginia Cavaliers sport a record of 31-2 and 20-9-1 ATS heading into this betting matchup, while the UMBC Retrievers have 23-10 and 9-2 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 10-20 for the Cavaliers and 4-6-1 for the Retrievers.

The Cavaliers sit at No. 4 in the current college hoops power poll here at OddsShark, while the Retrievers sit at No. 265 on the same chart.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The Retrievers got 27 points from Jairus Lyles as UMBC ran past Vermont 65-62 on Saturday at Roy L Patrick Gymnasium.

The Cavaliers got 16 points from Kyle Guy as Virginia bested North Carolina 71-63 on Saturday at Barclays Center.

UMBC is 6-1 SU and ATS in its last seven games in March.away The total has gone UNDER in three of UMBC’s last four games as an underdog.away Virginia is 4-4 ATS in its last eight games.home
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