Lehigh and Virginia might be down near the bottom of the list of notable games on Friday, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any way to beat the NCAA basketball odds when the Mountain Hawks and Cavaliers collide.
Friday, November 26, 2021 – 07:00 PM EST at John Paul Jones Arena
Following a rough start to the 2021-22 season for Tony Bennett and Virginia, things might be turning around for the Cavaliers after their recent showing at the Legends Classic. Beating Georgia and Providence on consecutive days at least showed why Virginia was among the favorites at top sportsbooks to win the ACC.
Just like everyone else in the Patriot League, Lehigh is chasing Colgate for that conference’s automatic bid to March Madness. Now entering his 15th season in Bethlehem, PA, Brett Reed returned a huge chunk of his roster from a year ago, including his top four scorers from a team that suffered through a 4-11 showing.
These two sides might be 247 places apart on the latest Ken Pomeroy Ratings, but Friday’s light hoops card warrants this clash in Charlottesville getting some air time on the ACC Network. Only a few online sports betting shops are even bothering carrying odds for this one, and those that do are selling Virginia -20 with 122 for the total.
They may have changed their name more than a quarter-century ago, but it’s still tough on this old-timer not to call them the Engineers. It’s also been tough for Reed & Company to get into the win column, which is something the Mountain Hawks broke through on earlier this week with a 79-72 win over Columbia. Favored by 8 on their home floor at Stabler Arena, getting that first win also proved tough after the Mountain Hawks blew a 13-point lead in the first half only to stand tied with a little more than six minutes remaining.
The loss in the season opener at Rutgers might have been behind the next three setbacks as Lehigh seemed to dwell on the missed opportunity. The Mountain Hawks were huge 20-point underdogs in Piscataway, and fought tooth and nail the whole way against the Scarlet Knights only to fall 73-70 in overtime.
Bennett certainly hopes for a better showing by his Cavaliers against their second Patriot League opponent of the young season. Virginia was embarrassed by Navy at home in its season opener, falling to the Midshipmen by a 66-58 count. The Cavaliers were favored by 15 points at Bovada and managed to score just three-point over the final 8:45 of the contest.
Two games later at then-No. 15 Houston, Virginia’s offense struggled once again as the Cougars eased their way to a 67-47 victory. Houston’s defense was a huge part of the Cavaliers’ struggles, but the Wahoos also contributed to their own demise by committing 17 turnovers and allowing the Cougars to consistently beat them to the glass.
Virginia looked to be its old self in Newark this week at the Legends Classic. In a tight battle against Georgia on Monday, the Cavaliers’ defense finally wore the Bulldogs down in the second half for a 65-55 win and cover. Virginia then really turned up the defensive heat the next evening to dominate Providence 58-40 in a mild upset. Jayden Gardner led the way over the Friars with 21 points and 13 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.
While there isn’t much in terms of a rivalry between the two clubs, at least most of the series history is in recent years. Friday is the fourth meeting for the Mountain Hawks and Cavaliers, Virginia having won all three previous contests by at least 21 points. Two of the matchups have taken place in the last six years, and all three were played in Charlottesville.
There is very little history or trends to report at online betting sites in the recent meetings. Defense and sharpshooting from Kyle Guy led Virginia to the 75-54 decision just about four years ago at John Paul Jones Arena. Since winning at Mississippi State in November 2016, Lehigh has dropped its last eight games against Power 5 schools.
Virginia’s wins in the tourney this week were nice, but the Cavaliers still haven’t proven their offense can be trusted enough to cover a 20-point spread. My free college basketball pick will be on the Cavaliers and Mountain Hawks stopping short of the total.
NCAAB Pick: Under 122 (-115) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.