The Virginia Cavaliers (3-1) take on the George Mason Patriots (2-2) at TD Arena. Action gets underway at 9:30 pm ET on Sunday, Nov. 22 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Cavaliers come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, thoroughly outplaying Long Beach State 87-52 on Friday. Marial Shayok was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Patriots, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-68 win against Oklahoma State on Friday. Jaire Grayer led the game in scoring with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Virginia, a substantial 18-point favorite, takes on George Mason. The matchup currently has a 127-point Over/Under (O/U). The Cavaliers come into this game 3-1 Straight Up (SU) and 2-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cavaliers are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .502 from the field. Virginia is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.16. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Virginia defense has been very good, only giving up 57.5 points per game.
Across the court, the Patriots have a record of 2-1 ATS and 2-2 SU.
Virginia and George Mason have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – UVa, ATS Winner – UVa, O/U – Over
Notes
George Mason averages 63.0 points per game, placing the team just 321st in the nation. Virginia ranks 22nd in points allowed, giving up 57.5 points per game.
George Mason scores just 65.5 points per away game (ranked 174th). Virginia ranks 42nd in points allowed at home, giving up 50.0 points.
The Virginia Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 91.1 (ranked 78th), while the George Mason Patriots have an offensive rating of 94.2 (ranked 300th).
The George Mason Patriots average a field goal percentage of 41.6% this season. The Virginia Cavaliers are a winless 0-1 when opponents have a FG% of 41.6% or greater.
The Virginia Cavaliers and the George Mason Patriots both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Virginia is 50th and 36th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while George Mason ranks 256th and 238th in these categories.
Virginia ranks 64th in assists, registering 17.2 per game. George Mason performs worse at 236th with 12.5 assists per game.
George Mason, the 97th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.5 per game. Virginia does worse, ranked 253rd with 2.5.
On average, George Mason forces a turnover rate of 11.6%. When Virginia turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 2-1 record.
