The No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers (17-1, 6-0 ACC) and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-10, 1-5 ACC) battle at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Cavaliers will try to continue their nine-game winning streak. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 126.5 points with Virginia set as a 9-point favorite. Action begins at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 21, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPNU.
Virginia Cavaliers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons ATS Preview
In the Cavaliers last outing, they defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 64-48. De’Andre Hunter was the games high scorer with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Virginia dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a turnover percentage of 12.7 (better than their season average of 13.4) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.3 (above their season average of 27.9). For those same stats, Georgia Tech had marks of 27.2 and 26.9, respectively.
The Demon Deacons are trying to rebound after their 72-63 loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in their last game. With 15 points and 10 rebounds, Wake Forest’s Doral Moore put together a solid performance. North Carolina State’s 0.210 free throw rate was their biggest strength over Wake Forest, who had a mark of 0.138. The Wolfpack’s mark was below their season average of 0.265, while the Demon Deacons was below their season average of 0.255.
The offense of Wake Forest will go head-to-head against the stingy defense of Virginia. The Demon Deacons rank 122nd in offensive efficiency, while the Cavaliers are second in defensive efficiency. The Cavaliers figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
Both of these teams have typically finished under the projected point total. Virginia games have finished under 73.3 percent of the time, while games featuring Wake Forest have finished under 68.8 percent of the time. The Cavaliers come into this game with much better straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 17-1 SU and 11-4 ATS, while the Demon Deacons are 8-10 SU and 6-10 ATS.
Bryant Crawford has really been playing well over the last five games for Wake Forest, averaging 18.2 points and 4.8 assists per game.
This is the first time these teams will meet this year, after the Cavaliers won the sole game last season, 79-62. The Cavaliers dominated every stat category in the game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.340 and a turnover percentage of 12.4. The Demon Deacons recorded marks of 0.175 and 15.8, respectively, for those same stats.
Virginia Cavaliers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Wake Forest, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Cavaliers rank sixth in steals allowed per game (4.4) while the Demon Deacons rank 105th (6.4).
- Virginia ranks 23rd in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while Wake Forest ranks 65th (3.1).
- On the road, Virginia is 5-1 ATS with 5 unders and 1 over.
- At home, Wake Forest is 3-4 ATS with 4 overs and 3 unders.
- Virginia ranks first in assists allowed per game (8.0) while Wake Forest ranks 184th (14.8).
- The Cavaliers rank 73rd in three pointers allowed per game (20.3) while the Demon Deacons rank 234th (24.6).
- Wake Forest ranks 120th in rebounds per game (36.5) while Virginia ranks 250th (32.9).
Betting Trends:
- Wake Forest is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Virginia is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Demon Deacons have been outscored by an average of 7.0 points in their last five games. On the season, Wake Forest has defeated opponents by an average of 1.9 points.
- During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 67.8 points per game (2.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 52.2 points per game (0.4 below their season average).
