The No. 23 Cavaliers of Virginia (-24) are gearing up to welcome the Liberty Flames to David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. This key afternoon matchup is scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. ET and you can catch the action live on CHSS.
Liberty Flames vs. Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
Liberty is a big road underdog here and is currently receiving 24 points from bookmakers. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 57.5 points, and this game ought to have some live betting scenarios.
Each team has been profitable this year as the Flames have gained 3.6 units and the Cavaliers are ahead 3.3 units.
The Flames have gone 4-4 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Cavaliers are 6-3 SU.
The Flames are looking to get back on track after a 62-59 loss to Massachusetts last week where the defense allowed the Minutemen to pass for 540 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 237 yards and four scores. Andy Isabella torched the defense in that one with 303 yards and two touchdowns on nine catches. On the offensive side, Stephen Calvert completed only 16 passes on 35 attempts for 272 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Frankie Hickson (133 yards on 27 rush attempts, two TDs) and Frank Boyd (83 yards on 16 carries, three TDs) led the ground attack in the loss while Antonio Gandy-Golden (nine receptions, 205 yards, two TDs) and Kentory Matthews (three catches, 13 yards) handled the receiving duties.
One week ago, Pittsburgh took care of this Virginia team by a score of 23-13. The Wahoos defensive unit let the Panthers rush for 254 yards on 42 attempts, including three rush TDs. Darrin Hall was a force to be reckoned with, recording 229 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 attempts for Pittsburgh. For Virginia, Bryce Perkins completed 17-of-24 passes for 205 yards and one touchdown. Perkins (-7 rushing yards on 15 attempts) and Jordan Ellis (46 yards on 10 carries) mounted the ground game in the defeat while Hasise Dubois (four receptions, 34 yards) and Olamide Zaccheaus (four catches, 31 yards) led the pass-catching attack.
Liberty has run the ball on 49.6 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Virginia has a rush percentage of 57.9 percent. The Flames have produced 154 rush yards per game and have 22 scores via handoffs this year. The Wahoos are totaling 170 rush yards per game and have 13 total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Wahoos might hold an edge when it comes to effectiveness in the ground game, since their running backs has generated 4.5 yards per carry while the defense has allowed 4.1 YPC to opponents. The Flames have registered 3.8 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 5.3 to opponents.
The Flames offensive scheme has averaged 324 yards in the air overall and has 18 passing scores so far. The Wahoos have produced 205 pass yards per outing and have 16 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Liberty has allowed 238 rush yards and 286 pass yards per game. The Virginia defense has allowed 197.3 yards per game to opposing passers and 128.7 yards per game to opposing runners. The Wahoos are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.99 to opponents, while the Flames have given up a 7.27 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Calvert has already amassed 2,166 yards this year, and has completed 54 percent of his 274 attempts with 16 scores through the air and nine interceptions. Calvert has a 6.90 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 5.01 over the past two outings.
The Flames will likely try to control the clock by putting the ball into the hands of their running backs. In addition to wideout Antonio Gandy-Golden (702 receiving yards and seven touchdowns), Frankie Hickson (545 rush yards, five rush TDs) and Frank Boyd (116 rush yards, three rush TDs) have brought significant production to the Liberty offensive scheme.
In the other locker room, Bryce Perkins has managed to complete 136-of-214 passes for 1,611 yards, 13 TDs and seven INTs. Perkins’ ANY/A sits at 5.90 for the year and 6.64 over his last two games.
The Wahoos should also look to control the clock by turning to their backfield. Bryce Perkins (nine receiving yards) has stepped up lately, but Olamide Zaccheaus (33 rush yards, 613 receiving yards, six receiving TDs) and Jordan Ellis (665 rush yards, seven rush TDs) have seen a lot of touches lately.
Free Pick: Liberty Flames at Virginia Cavaliers
SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Liberty, O/U – Over
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Team Betting Notes
Liberty has averaged 3.7 yards per carry over its last three outings and 4.4 over its last two.
Virginia has averaged 3.8 yards per carry over its last three matchups and only 3.6 over its last two.
Virginia has lost five fumbles this season while Liberty has lost four.
Both teams have produced five pass plays of 40 or more yards. The Flames have have made 18 pass plays of 30+ yards while the Cavaliers have accounted for 10 such plays.
The Liberty defense has allowed 14 pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Virginia has given up three such plays.
The Liberty offense has created six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Virginia has created 14 such runs.
The Flames defense has allowed 23 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Cavaliers have given up nine such runs.
The Liberty defensive unit has sacked opposing quarterbacks 21 times this season. Virginia has registered 20 sacks.
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