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Virginia 2019 March Madness Final Four Betting Preview

Virginia 2019 March Madness Final Four Betting Preview

Written by on April 4, 2019

NCAAB News and Betting Previews| Xbet.ag
The Virginia Cavaliers are a 1-seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for a second consecutive year. Their first year ended in disaster, as they crashed out to a 16-seed in an historic loss. Their second year looked headed that way as they went into the locker room at halftime, down to 16-seed Gardner-Webb. However, they came back to win, and they’ve been winning ever since despite showing flaws in each game. They have advanced to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years, and now they are just two wins away from the first national championship in program history. With an offense and defense that are both elite, the Cavaliers are now the odds-on favorite to win this year’s title. We have put together a list of reasons why you should consider the Virginia Cavaliers in your NCAAB betting for the 2019 national title, as well as our prediction for the outcome of the Final Four.

Virginia 2019 March Madness Final Four Betting Preview

2019 Final Four Odds

  • Virginia / Currently: 3/2 / Opening: 15/1
  • Michigan State / Currently: 7/4 / Opening: 15/1
  • Texas Tech / Currently: 4/1 / Opening: 40/1
  • Auburn / Currently: 7/1 / Opening: 30/1

Overall, Virginia is the top-rated team in the country

Duke and North Carolina have gotten the vast majority of the press in the ACC, as they usually do. But the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels are done, and the Cavaliers are still playing. The pace that Virginia plays is a slow, grinding one, which is why they only have 59.2 possessions per game, fewest in the nation. However, since February 2, according to Torvik’s advanced metrics, no team has a better points per possession offense than Virginia. Over the last 15 games, their offensive efficiency rating has been 123.3. On defense, the Cavaliers permit just 88.8 points per 100 possessions, which is a solid rating.

Virginia has a three-man committee that is better than what any other team boasts

Yes, Duke has Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. They will probably both go in the NBA lottery. But that duo doesn’t quite stand with the trio of Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter. Guy is confident shooting from downtown, and he has seen his shooting improve dramatically since he came to Charlottesville. Hunter will also likely go in the lottery this summer, thanks to his solid defensive skills as well as his rebounding, shooting and handling skills. Jerome plays with confidence and can sink daggers when the game is on the line, the sort of player that any tournament champion needs. Oh, and Kyle Guy had had a major monkey on his back as far as making shots in the NCAA tournament. He finally went off against Purdue after halftime and in overtime to help the team get out of the Elite Eight, and if he keeps dropping shots, the Cavaliers will win.

Virginia’s losses were to teams that have different gifts from Auburn, Texas Tech or Michigan State

Virginia has three losses this season: two to Duke in ACC play and one to Florida State in the ACC tournament. Duke has an amazing roster of talent, and Florida State is tall, deep and experienced. The Seminoles’ squad this year was the best that Florida State has put on the floor while in the ACC. There are no teams left in the Final Four that have either set of characteristics. Auburn has speed, but they don’t have much height, and Virginia can match their speed. Auburn and Michigan State rely heavily on the three-ball, but Virginia had the third-best defense in terms of three-point percentage permitted in the nation.

How far will Virginia go?

Virginia has the height and the defense to clamp down on Auburn and deliver the win. I see Texas Tech beating Michigan State in the other semifinal, which means that two elite defenses will square off in the national championship. Texas Tech is peaking at the right time, winning by more than Virginia has, so I see Texas Tech winning the program’s first national title.
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