Colorado State vs. Virginia Betting Pick: Can the Rams Hold Off Reece Beekman, Cavaliers in First Four?
March Madness action begins tonight with Virginia and Colorado State facing off in some late-night action. Can the Rams hold off Reece Beekman and the Cavaliers in the First Four? Ben Rajavuori provides his best bet for the game.
Ben Rajavuori - March 19, 2024, 5:20 PM EDT
5 minColorado State vs. Virginia Betting Pick: Can the Rams Hold Off Reece Beekman, Cavaliers in First Four?
March Madness action begins tonight as the first four games of the NCAA tournament start in Dayton, Ohio. The first game of the night will be played by conference tournament winners Howard and Wagner. The game we are focusing on tonight is the second game of the first four between the bubble teams, Virginia and Colorado State. These two teams are battling for the last number 10 seed spot in the Midwest region, with the winner facing Texas in the first round. Colorado State is a slight favorite in this game of 2.5 points. Who will move on to face Texas?
COLORADO STATE VS. VIRGINIA DATE, TIME, WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: March 19, 2024
- Game Time: 9:10 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TruTV
COLORADO STATE VS. VIRGINIA PREDICTION
I, for one, am completely baffled by how Virginia got here. Virginia is the lowest team in the NET rankings to secure a spot in the tournament, as they are ranked 54th in the NET rankings. They passed teams like Indiana State, who is 28th in the rankings, and St. John’s, who is 32nd in the rankings. Virginia also only played nine quad-one games and went 2-7 in those games this season.
Virginia did not play a very strong strength of schedule and also had nonconference losses to Wisconsin and Memphis. Their win against Florida may have saved their season, although that happened back in early November, which was long ago. They went 2-4 over their last six games of the regular season and lost in the second round of the ACC tournament to NC State. On the other hand, I am surprised to see Colorado State in the first four. Colorado State enters this game as the number 36 team in the NET rankings. They had a much harder strength of schedule and had 13 quad-one games, going 6–7 in those. Colorado State played a tough nonconference schedule but picked up big wins against Creighton, Colorado, and Washington. Their loan loss in non-conference play was to St. Mary’s, who is a five seed in this tournament. Colorado State went 10–8 in a very competitive Mountain West Conference and also had a decent run in the Mountain West Conference tournament before losing to New Mexico. This team is well-balanced, as they rank 42nd in offensive efficiency and 38th in defensive efficiency on Kenpom. Overall, I like the balance of this Colorado State team, as they seem more prepared for the NCAA tournament with a much better offense. It will be hard for Virginia to slow Colorado state down, as they rank ninth in the nation in two-point percentage. Virginia plays suffocating defense, but they struggle so much on the offensive side of the court that I cannot trust their offense in a tournament game. Colorado State also has a very experienced team, as all five starting players are seniors. They have excellent guard play in Isaiah Stevens, who is seventh in the nation in assist rate.
Colorado State played much better in their tougher games this season, as they played more quad-one games and had a better record, going 6–7 in quad-one games. Virginia only played 12 quad-one games all season and really struggled against the top teams, going 2–7 in quad-one games. Colorado State should have the edge today in a game where the right team is favored.
COLORADO STATE VS. VIRGINIA Betting PICK
Pick: Colorado State ML -140 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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