The Florida State Seminoles take on the Virginia Cavaliers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Florida State Virginia prediction and pick.
The Virginia Cavaliers are unbeaten to start their season, something most college basketball analysts did not anticipate going into the season. Virginia did not land a game-changing recruit who received massive national publicity, or a top-tier transfer who figured to dramatically change the equation for this team. The roster brought back a lot of players from last season's team. Tony Bennett emphasizes connectedness and integration, which might not separate him from other coaches, but Bennett has a reputation and track record for getting his teams to be close-knit and exhibit a five-as-one identity at both ends of the floor. Simply bringing back his core group might have been overlooked as a virtue and something to be valued. It might have meant a lot more than many experts thought, but we do need to see more of the season play out before that thesis is confirmed.
The Hoos have Reece Beekman and Armaan Franklin playing far better than they did last season. Kadin Shedrick is making very important contributions. Virginia is getting production from a lot of different sources, and it is winning different kinds of games as well. The win over Baylor featured a second-half offensive explosion. The Michigan win earlier this week was a tight, close game in which the Cavaliers came up with the better, more structured late-game possessions and smarter plays. That's what Bennett counts on, and that is what his team is delivering thus far.
Florida State is at the polar opposite end relative to Virginia. The Seminoles have won only one game so far this season. Coach Leonard Hamilton is dealing with injuries and a shorthanded roster, but even with his many limitations, Hamilton is noticeably failing to find a solution for what ails his team. It's a downward spiral of bad luck and an erosion of confidence for the Seminoles, who were hit hard by the injury bug last season and really needed some roster stability this year … but have not received it.
The one encouraging thing for Florida State is that it pushed Purdue hard earlier this week. Purdue hammered Gonzaga and Duke, and yet Florida State lost by a smaller margin to the Boilermakers. The game was legitimately close with three minutes left in regulation. This is a building block for the Seminoles, who won at Virginia last season on a 35-foot shot by Matthew Cleveland at the buzzer. Florida State has been a threat in the ACC in recent years, and that might be the fact which keeps Virginia vigilant when this game begins.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Florida State-Virginia College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Florida State-Virginia Odds
Florida State Seminoles: +18.5 (-110)
Virginia Cavaliers: -18.5 (-110)
Over: 130.5 (-108)
Under: 130.5 (-112)
Why Florida State Could Cover the Spread
This is a very large spread for an ACC game. Even though Virginia is off to a great start and Florida State has started the season horribly, FSU did challenge Purdue a few days ago, giving the Seminoles confidence that they can begin to change course and move in the right direction. Virginia is a strong team, but the Cavaliers do not use a playing style which lends itself to blowouts.
Why Virginia Could Cover the Spread
This Virginia team is playing great basketball, and while Florida State did challenge Purdue, that game was at home. This game is on the road for the Seminoles, who might be a little mentally exhausted. They might have emptied the tank against the Boilermakers and might not have anything left for UVA.
Final Florida State-Virginia Prediction & Pick
This game is one you should stay away from, since the results of the two teams point to a blowout, but Florida State might have begun to improve as a team against Purdue. If you insist on a pick, take Florida State.
Final Florida State-Virginia Prediction & Pick: Florida State +18.5
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