Memphis Tigers vs Virginia Cavaliers Prediction, 12/18/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Memphis Tigers vs Virginia Cavaliers

Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Location: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA

TV: ESPN+

John Paul Jones Arena is the location where the Virginia Cavaliers (6-4) will play the Memphis Tigers (8-2) on Wednesday.

The Memphis Tigers stepped onto the hardwood against Clemson and took home the win by a score of 87-82 in their last game. Memphis wrapped up the contest with a 51.7% FG percentage (31 of 60) and converted 12 of 25 shots from downtown. At the free throw line, the Tigers converted 13 of their 17 shots for a rate of 76.5%. When talking about rebounding, they earned 30 with 10 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 17 assists for the contest as well as creating 13 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In relation to the defense, Memphis allowed 44.8% from the floor on 30 of 67 shooting. Clemson totaled 16 assists and had 6 steals in this matchup. Additionally, Clemson had 29 boards (10 offensive, 19 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Clemson finished 80.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 12 of their 15 tries. They also made 10 out of their 31 shots from beyond the arc. When talking about personal fouls, the Tigers ended up finishing with 16 while Clemson totaled 16 personal fouls.

Tyrese Hunter is one guy who was a major contributor for the contest. He recorded 23 points on 8 of 14 shooting. He saw the court for 41 minutes played and also pulled down 4 rebounds. He ended up going 57.1% from the field and recorded 3 assists.

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Memphis comes into this game with a record of 8-2 for the year. They are turning it over 14.1 times per contest and as a team they are committing 18.6 fouls per contest. As a team, Memphis is grabbing 35.1 boards per game and has 130 dimes on the season, which is 282nd in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Tigers are shooting 44.3% on shots from beyond the arc (85 of 192) and 73.3% from the free throw line. They have an average of 81.1 pts per game (68th in D-1) while going 47.3% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Tigers are able to force 13.7 turnovers every game while drawing 20.6 personal fouls. They are 277th in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 158 relinquished for the year. The Tigers are allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 43.3% (262 of 605) and they surrender 34.5 boards per contest as a team. They relinquish 36.0% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 307th in the country in opponents points per game (77.1).

For their last game, the Virginia Cavaliers walked away with a victory by a final of 59-41 when they faced Bethune-Cookman. The Cavaliers were able to corral 30 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards totaling 40 for the contest. They also coughed it up 11 times, while getting 4 steals for the matchup. Bethune-Cookman was called for 12 fouls for the matchup which got the Cavaliers to the charity stripe for a total of 12 shots. They were able to make 8 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 66.7%. When talking about shooting from 3-point land, Virginia made 7 out of 23 attempts (30.4%). When all was said and done, the Cavaliers finished 22 for 50 from the floor which gave them a rate of 44.0%. The Cavaliers permitted Bethune-Cookman to bury 17 out of 55 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 30.9% in this contest. They finished 25.0% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 5 out of 20 and ended up going 2 out of 6 from the free throw line (33.3%). With respect to cleaning the glass, Virginia permitted Bethune-Cookman to snag 26 in total (6 on the offensive side).

Elijah Saunders ended up being a factor for the Cavaliers for this contest. He earned 15 points in his 36 mins on the court, but wasn't able to tally an assist. He buried 6 of 11 for the contest giving him a rate of 54.5%, and had 8 rebounds.

Virginia has a record of 6-4 this season. When it comes to offensive execution, the Cavaliers are shooting 43.8% from the floor, which ranks 238th in college. Virginia has 614 pts on the year (61.4 per contest) and they grab 32.5 boards per contest. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 14.1 times per contest (187th in college hoops) and they turn the ball over 12.3 times per contest. The Cavaliers commit 13.4 personal fouls every game while shooting 72.9% from the free throw line.

The Virginia defense gives up 32.5% on shots from beyond the perimeter (80 of 246) and their opposition makes 68.9% of their free throw attempts. They allow 11.2 dimes and 32.2 rebounds every game, which ranks them 66th and 77th in those defensive categories. The Cavaliers on defense are ranked 14th in the nation in points allowed per game with 60.2. They are forcing their opponents into 9.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 39.6% from the floor (51st in Division 1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Virginia

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