The Florida State Seminoles host the No. 15-ranked Virginia Cavaliers at 7:00 p.m. ET in an ACC showdown. Virginia enters the game 20-3 and 9-2 in the ACC, while FSU is one game under .500 while being 4-6 in ACC play. Virginia is 20-19 against Florida State in their all-time series and has beaten the Seminoles in their last four meetings.
Virginia is a 7.5-point favorite in this matchup, with the over/under being 152.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out my best bet for tonight’s Florida State vs. Virginia contest.
Virginia vs. Florida State (7:00 p.m. ET)
The Cavaliers have had a good season so far, and although they have suffered three losses, they have bounced back well after each one. Virginia has won its past four games since its loss to North Carolina on January 24. Also, Virginia has won its previous five road games in ACC play. Florida State has won three consecutive games, its best winning streak since November 25. The Seminoles latest victories have come against Notre Dame, Stanford, and California.
On KenPom, there is a wide margin between these two teams. Virginia is No. 16, which is 77 spots higher than Florida State. FSU has the 110th defensive rating with the 94th offensive rating. Meanwhile, Virginia’s offensive rating is 19th in the country, as its defensive rating is 21st.
Thijs De Ridder and Malik Thomas lead the Cavaliers this season. De Ridder averages 16.4 points and 6.5 rebounds, while Thomas scored 12.6 points per contest. Sam Lewis is another difference maker for Virginia who has scored 15-plus points in three of his last four games. FSU only has three players averaging double-digit points: Robert McCray V, Chauncey Wiggins, and Lajae Jones. McCray averages 14.4 points but has scored 19-plus in three of his last five.
Florida State allows 79.6 points to opponents, which is the most in the ACC, while Virginia only gives up 67.9. The Cavaliers are 9-1 in their previous 10, with six of them being by at least eight points. Virginia excels in low-scoring games, and Florida State doesn’t have a good enough offense to break down the Cavaliers’ defense. This season, eight of Florida State’s 12 losses have come by eight-plus points.
