The Memphis Tigers (8-2) travel to face off against the Virginia Cavaliers (6-4) on Wednesday, December 18th. This game will be played at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville and televised on ESPN2. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Memphis Tigers vs Virginia Cavaliers

The Tigers Are Coming Off A Win

Memphis improved to 8-2 on the season with an 87-82 road win over Clemson on Saturday. Entering the game as +5.5 point underdogs, the Tigers not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

Leading 33-32 at halftime, Memphis scored 39 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40. The game’s total points of 169 surpassed the O/U line of 144.

The Cavaliers Are Coming Off A Win

Virginia Cavaliers Recent Game/Games

Virginia improved to 6-4 on the season with a 59-41 win over Bethune-Cookman on Thursday. The Cavaliers were -16 point favorites and covered the spread, while the game’s total points (100) fell well below the O/U line of 126.

After trailing 21-18 at halftime, Virginia’s defense clamped down, allowing just 20 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41 points of their own to secure the win.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

Memphis put up 87 points in their last game, shooting 51.7% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 25 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.7%, and they connected on 76.5% of their free throws.

Tyrese Hunter and Viktor Lakhin both scored 23 points, with Hunter hitting 7 threes at a 63.6% rate. Colby Rogers added 22 points, shooting 57.1% from deep. The Tigers dished out 17 assists and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Virginia’s offense managed just 59 points in their last game, shooting 44% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52%. They hit 55.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.4% of their threes (7/23).

Elijah Saunders led the way with 15 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 54.5% overall. Brayon Freeman added 14 points despite shooting just 31.6%, while Ishan Sharma contributed 12 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep.

Tigers Team Defense

Memphis gave up 82 points, with their opponents shooting 44% from the field. Inside the arc, they allowed 55% shooting, as the other team went 20/36 on two-point attempts.

From three-point range, Memphis limited their opponents to 32% shooting, with 10 made threes on 31 attempts. They also sent them to the line 15 times, where they hit 12 free throws for 80%.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Memphis gave up 82 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field. They allowed 30 made field goals on 67 attempts.

Defensively, Memphis struggled inside, giving up 20 two-point baskets on 36 attempts (55%). From three-point range, the opposition shot 32%, hitting 10 of 31. Memphis also sent them to the line 15 times, where they made 12 free throws (80%).

Tigers vs Cavaliers Trends

• Across the Tigers last ten road games, the team averaged 79 points per game while allowing 80. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 6-4 straight-up.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Virginia has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 54 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• As the betting underdog, the Cavaliers have an ATS mark of just 1-4 in their last five games. Virginia posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Tigers have a straight up record of 2-1, while going 1-2 against the spread.

Tigers vs Cavaliers Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +5.5, we recommend going with the Cavaliers on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 131 and given that our model is projecting 145 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.