Virginia vs Memphis Odds
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 131.5 -110o / -110u | +145 |
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 131.5 -110o / -110u | -175 |
Below, we have Virginia vs Memphis odds and a pick for Tuesday.
The last big non-conference test for both the Virginia Cavaliers and Memphis Tigers takes place on Tuesday at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Cavaliers, who were bounced in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season by Furman, have jumped out to an excellent 9-1 start.
The Tigers won the AAC Tournament last season. This year, the Tigers have an 8-2 record through the first 10 games, as they've survived a difficult schedule.
Virginia Cavaliers
It’s always going to be a grind-it-out effort when Virginia takes the floor, as it owns the 361st-slowest tempo in the nation, according to KenPom. The Cavaliers have allowed 70 points once, which came in a three-point win over Florida in early November.
Tony Bennett’s team survived a scare on Saturday in a 56-54 home win over Northeastern. The Cavaliers failed to cover as 16.5-point favorites, but they erased a 13-point second-half deficit to improve to 7-0 at home. Reece Beekman was the lone Cavalier in double-figures, as he led UVA with 21 points.
Virginia has yet to play a true road game this season, as it owns neutral-site wins over Florida and West Virginia. The only loss for the Cavaliers came against Wisconsin on November 20 in Fort Myers, Florida.
UVA made 11 2-point shots against the Badgers and shot 33% from the floor in its first regular season non-conference defeat since last November against Houston.
Since last season, the Cavaliers have lost four of five games in the underdog role, with the lone victory coming against Florida.
In the unfortunate stopped season of 2020, the Cavaliers closed as the second-best team in Defensive Efficiency. Over the last few seasons, Virginia has ranked 77th, 118th and 75th in Defensive Efficiency. However, Bennett’s squad is back to elite defensive status by ranking first in the category at 41%.
Memphis Tigers
Houston left the AAC for the Big 12, so you would figure that Memphis would be the team to beat in the league. However, FAU moved up from Conference USA, and after the Owls’ run to the Final Four, they're the top-rated team in the AAC.
Memphis is right behind FAU for the top spot in the American, ranking 33rd in the country heading into Tuesday’s action. So far, the Tigers have posted six wins over top-100 teams. Among them are Missouri, Michigan, Arkansas, VCU, Texas A&M and Clemson.
What’s interesting is only one of those victories came at FedEx Forum, a 79-77 triumph over Clemson on Saturday. Out of 10 games this season, the Tigers have played just three at home, with two comfortable victories over Jackson State and Alabama State early on.
In Saturday’s win, Memphis fell behind by 10 points late in the first half before outscoring Clemson in the second half for the two-point win. David Jones led Memphis with 22 points, as it won in spite of shooting 4-of-26 from 3-point range.
This matchup is definitely a contrast in styles, as Memphis ranks 19th in the nation in tempo and has topped the 77-point mark in four straight games.
The two losses for the Tigers are to solid opponents, as they fell to Villanova, 79-63, and had a three-point setback at Mississippi. In the Villanova defeat, the Wildcats limited the Tigers to 16 first-half points at the Battle 4 Atlantis, which was also the third game in three days for both teams.
The Tigers have failed to cover the spread in all three home games, although two of the ATS losses came when laying 21 or more. Against Clemson, Memphis closed as a three-point favorite and led by five in the final minute before settling for the two-point victory.
Virginia vs. Memphis
Betting Pick & Prediction
Virginia closed out last season with some questionable road losses at North Carolina, Boston College and Virginia Tech.
However, this has been an incredibly taxing stretch for Memphis against the caliber of competition it's faced.
Virginia wasn't sharp against Northeastern, but getting some points with the Cavaliers on the road is worth it here against Memphis.
Pick: Virginia +3 (Play to +2)
ESPN Bet is now live! Make sure you're ready for all the action with our exclusive ESPN BET promo code TANBONUS.
