The Ohio Bobcats will have their hands full in the first round of the West Region as they lock horns with the Virginia Cavaliers, the last school to win the National Championship.
The No. 4 seed Cavaliers were forced to withdraw from the ACC Tournament due to medical concerns but college basketball betting lines opened with UVA installed as an 8-point favorite against the No. 13 seed Bobcats.
Here are our best free March Madness picks and predictions for Ohio vs. Virginia on Saturday, March 20, with tipoff at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Ohio vs Virginia odds
Sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonVirginia's situation has been dicey due to COVID issues that last week forced the team out of the ACC tournament. Line movement reflects that fact, with the Cavaliers falling from -10 to -7 over the course of the week at FanDuel. As of 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Ohio is absolutely a public 'dog, nabbing 72 percent of spread bets and 80 percent of spread money, The total moved from 132 to 132.5, then down to 130 by earlier this afternoon, and it's now 130.5, with tickets and money running 2/1 on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameOhio Bobcats vs Virginia Cavaliers betting preview
Injuries
Ohio: None.
Virginia: None.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Bobcats are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 NCAA Tournament games. Find more NCAA betting trends for Ohio vs. Virginia.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
Since the NCAA Tournament was canceled last year, Virginia is still technically the reigning national champ, That said, this team is much different personnel-wise from the squad that won it all in 2019 and is nowhere near as dominant, losing three straight games in mid-February.
At its core though, this is still a typical Tony Bennett-coached Virginia team that plays at a glacial pace, defends very well, and shoots lights out from the perimeter. All that has the Cavaliers as a Top 15 betting favorite with +6,000 March Madness odds to win the title. Unfortunately for UVA bettors, a very slow tempo and low-scoring offense aren't the best ingredients for covering spreads and the Cavaliers are just 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 games.
The Bobcats are 16-7 SU and 14-7 ATS this season and are playing their best ball right now. Ohio is coming off an 84-69 win over Buffalo in the MAC Championship game and has gone 9-1 SU and ATS in its last 10 games. This is a high-scoring team that averages 80.2 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting, with both numbers ranking among the Top-25 schools in the country. Leading-scorer Jason Preston averaged 22.7 points over the Bobcats' three conference tournament wins.
While the MAC might not have the best competition, keep in mind that Ohio faced Big Ten champion Illinois on the road earlier in the season and almost pulled off the massive upset, losing by two points in the final seconds.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, Virginia won't be making the trip to Indianapolis until Friday and that late arrival is another factor that could play a role in this matchup. Back the Bobcats on the spread.
PREDICTION: Ohio +8 (-110)
- No. 11 Drake vs. No. 6 USC picks
- No. 14 Eastern Washington vs. No. 3 Kansas picks
- No. 9 Missouri vs. No. 8 Oklahoma picks
- No. 12 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 5 Creighton picks
- No. 15 Grand Canyon vs. No. 2 Iowa picks
- No. 10 VCU vs. No. 7 Oregon picks
- No. 16 Norfolk State vs. No. 1 Gonzaga picks
- March Madness matchup info and more
- Join the Covers CBB Forum discussion!
Over/Under Pick
The Cavaliers are 5-1 to the Over in their last six games but the opening total of 132.5 for this contest is their highest Over/Under of the calendar year.
This is a Virginia team that plays at the slowest adjusted tempo in the country, according to KenPom, and holds opponents to just 60.1 ppg (the fifth-best mark in the nation). That said, the Cavs also rank outside the Top 250 in scoring by putting up just 68.5 ppg of their own.
The Bobcats are very efficient on the offensive end of the floor but matching up with Virginia's defensive system is a massive challenge. Don't expect them to have their usual shooting success — take the Under.
PREDICTION: Under 132.5 (-110)
First Half Pick
Virginia is a slow-starting team that averages just 31.7 ppg in the first half, and it faces an Ohio squad that averages 38.7 ppg in the first 20 minutes.
The Bobcats have been getting off to terrific starts lately, posting an average scoring margin of plus-14.7 ppg during the first half of their last three contests. They also trailed by just a single point at halftime in that previously mentioned game against Illinois. Take Ohio and the points on the first half spread.
PREDICTION: First Half Ohio +5 (-110)
Ohio vs Virginia betting card
- Ohio +8 (-110)
- Under 132.5 (-110)
- First Half Ohio +5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s March Madness Ohio vs. Virginia picks, you could win $59.58 on a $10 bet?
Use our March Madness parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on March Madness odds?
March Madness is one of the most popular times of the year for sports bettors, which of course makes it one of the busiest times of the year for online sportsbooks. Every betting site will offer March Madness odds but the top sites are safe and secure, offer a wide range of banking options, and give you a ton of markets for each game. Check out the best March Madness betting sites in your region.
