Published Mar 18, 8:32pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 18, 8:32pm ET
Updated Mar 18, 8:33pm ET
The Wright State Raiders will face the Virginia Cavaliers in the First Round of the Midwest Region in March Madness. The game will be played at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with Virginia heavily favored to win.
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| VIRGINIA CAVALIERS | -2800 |
| WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS | +1300 |
The Wright State Raiders are making their fifth March Madness appearance and are still searching for their first-ever tournament win. Their last appearance came in 2022, and they now face a difficult challenge in trying to get past Virginia.
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Historically, a No. 14 seed defeats a No. 3 seed about 15% of the time, but the Raiders face a tough point spread in this matchup. They will need strong performances from Michael Cooper, Michael Imariagbe, and TJ Burke. Wright State also enters this game riding a five-game winning streak.
The Cavaliers have had a strong season so far and will look to make a deep run in March Madness. They lost their last game to Duke in the ACC Championship, but nearly pulled off the win. Virginia has made 25+ March Madness appearances and won its only national title in 2019.
Virginia is allowing just 68.4 points per game while scoring 80.6 points per game offensively. They also hold a five-rebound advantage over Wright State, so they will need to capitalize on that edge, especially through Thijs De Ridder.
The Virginia Cavaliers are -21.5 point favorites, with the total set at 145.5. On the moneyline, Virginia is listed at -2800, while the Raiders come in at +1300.
Virginia has been playing strong basketball lately, despite a close loss to Duke in their previous game. We do not expect the Raiders to pull off the upset, which is why we have Virginia advancing.
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Pick
Virginia Cavaliers (-2800)
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