Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears Prediction, 1/8/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears

Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Location: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, CA

TV: ESPN+

Haas Pavilion is the location where the California Golden Bears (7-7) will take on the Virginia Cavaliers (8-6) on Wednesday.

The Virginia Cavaliers stepped onto the hardwood against Louisville and went home with a loss by a final score of 70-50 in their last contest. Virginia walked away from the contest having earned a 37.0% FG percentage (20 of 54) and made 5 of their 26 shots from distance. When they shot from the free throw line, the Cavaliers made 5 of 6 tries for a percentage of 83.3%. In regard to hauling in rebounds, they compiled a total of 22 with 6 of them being offensive. They also recorded 13 assists in the game while forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and earning 5 steals. Pertaining to the defense, Virginia allowed the other team to go 43.9% from the field on 25 of 57 shooting. Louisville earned 15 assists and had 6 steals in the game. Additionally, Louisville pulled down 39 rebounds (11 offensive, 28 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Louisville finished the game shooting 92.9% at the charity stripe by burying 13 of their 14 attempts. They buried 7 of their 19 shots from beyond the arc. In regard to fouls, the Cavaliers finished with 16 and Louisville recorded 11 fouls.

Andrew Rohde is someone who was a contributor for this contest. He was able to score 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 32 mins and also grabbed 4 boards. He finished the game at 50.0% from the field and also recorded 3 dimes.

Get all of our NCAA Best Bets Picks

Virginia heads into this one with a record of 8-6 on the season. They turn the ball over 11.4 times per game and as a squad they are committing 13.9 fouls every game. As a team, Virginia is grabbing 31.1 rebounds per contest and has racked up 203 assists for the year, which is 209th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Cavaliers are hitting 36.8% on shots from beyond the arc (110 of 299) and 73.2% from the free throw line. They are averaging 61.4 pts per game (360th in the country) while shooting 43.8% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Cavaliers are forcing 9.7 turnovers every game and they draw 13.9 personal fouls. They surrender 32.5% on shots from beyond the arc and they are ranked 12th in the country in points per game allowed (61.5). The Cavaliers defensively are allowing a field goal percentage of 40.0% (309 of 772) and they concede 33.0 boards per game as a unit. They are 65th in the nation in allowing assists to the opposition with 165 conceded for the season.

The last time they took the hardwood, the California Golden Bears went home defeated by a final of 80-68 when they played Clemson. Regarding rebounds, California allowed Clemson to snag 31 in all (7 on the offensive side). They went 44.4% from beyond the arc by shooting 8 out of 18 and ended up going 10 of 12 from the free throw line (83.3%). The Golden Bears permitted Clemson to bury 31 of 50 tries from the field which gave them a rate of 62.0% for this contest. When the game finished, the Golden Bears shot 26 out of 57 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 45.6%. With regard to shots from distance, California buried 6 out of their 17 attempts (35.3%). They were able to make 10 of the free throw tries for a percentage of 62.5%. Clemson earned 16 personal fouls in this contest which took the Golden Bears to the free throw line for 16 attempts. They coughed up the ball 6 times, while recording 5 steals in the game. The Golden Bears were able to snag 13 defensive boards and 7 offensive boards totaling 20 in this contest.

Andrej Stojakovic ended up being a factor for the Golden Bears in this matchup. He knocked down 11 out of 15 for the game giving him a field goal percentage of 73.3%, and accumulated 2 rebounds. He racked up 30 points in his 35 minutes on the hardwood and accumulated 1 assist in this contest.

California has a mark of 7-7 on the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Golden Bears are hitting on 45.4% from the floor, which is 165th in college. California has accounted for 1,089 pts for the season (77.8 per contest) and they average 36.4 boards per contest. They are getting an assist 10.4 times per contest (353rd in college) and they turn it over 12.8 times per contest. The Golden Bears commit 17.6 fouls per game and they go 74.5% from the free throw line.

The California defense allows 37.6% on shots from beyond the perimeter (112 of 298) and their opponents are converting on 69.8% of their foul shots. They have allowed 12.8 dimes and 32.1 rebounds per contest, which ranks them 166th and 61st in college. The Golden Bears defensively are ranked 312th in college in points given up per game with 76.9. They are able to force 11.6 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 47.5% from the floor (346th in college hoops).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Virginia

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here