Zion Williamson is the most exciting college basketball player we have seen in quite some time. Williamson has become a social media star with his incredible highlight plays, and NBA teams are making no secret about the fact they are tanking in order to get him. Any concerns that he would have trouble succeeding at that level because of his frame have long since disappeared, as he is using his freakish abilities to destroy teams in the low post. BetDSI is all-in on Zion Williamson and set his over/under against Virginia at 22.5.
How many points will Zion Williamson score against Virginia?
Over 22.5
Under 22.5
Williamson’s college debut against Kentucky showed us all what he can do, and he has continually improved as the season has progressed. After not playing too many minutes in most non-conference games, there were concerns over his stamina heading into conference play. It turns out that those concerns were unwarranted too. He has been averaging 33 minutes like clockwork, and his numbers in ACC play have been incredible.
There have been just two times that Williamson hasn’t cracked 22 points in ACC play. The first came against Florida State when he left in the first half due to an injury, and the second came on Tuesday night against Boston College. In that game, Williamson went 7-12 from the floor, but he didn’t get to the line too much and finished with just 16 points.
In his other games, Zion has been phenomenal. He is averaging 22 points per game on the season, and is one of the most efficient shooters in the country. Williamson is hitting 68.2 percent of his field goals, but that number would be over 70 percent if he didn’t decide to throw up two ill-advised threes per game.
It’s not easy to score against Virginia though. The Cavaliers have one of the best defenses in the nation, and Tony Bennett has made a habit of shutting teams down. They are either first or second in the country in most major defensive metrics. Virginia’s effective field goal percentage defense ranks second in the land, with opponents making just over 19 field goals per game.
Virginia also plays at a very slow pace. That will limit the amount of opportunities that Williamson has to score, as the Blue Devils won’t have as many possessions.
There is a prior data point here though. These teams met three weeks ago, and Duke clipped Virginia 72-70. Williamson played a big role in the victory, going 10-of-16 from the floor and getting to the line 14 times. He went well over his total then, but I think the under is the better play this time.
This game is in Charlottesville, so I don’t see Zion going to the line nearly as often. Also, Virginia will have reviewed the tape and will come up with a better gameplan in order to shut him down. I think he finishes with under 20 points on Saturday.
