Virginia Cavaliers – Miami (FL) Hurricanes Preview – 02.22.2016

Don’t expect a high-scoring game when the No. 7-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (21-5) head to Miami (FL) to play the No. 11-ranked Hurricanes (21-5). Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 22 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.

The Hurricanes are hoping to rebound after their 96-71 loss to North Carolina on Saturday. Anthony Lawrence Jr. had the best performance for the Hurricanes, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, and two assists. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-53 win against North Carolina State on Monday. Malcolm Brogdon led the game in scoring with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting.

Brogdon has upped his play over the last five games for the Cavaliers, averaging 20.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers.

This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as Miami (FL) ranks 21st in the nation in offensive efficiency (115.4), while Virginia is 17th (116.0). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Cavaliers. They are 287th in the nation in FTA rate (32.7), while the Hurricanes are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 27.8, ranking 23rd in the country).

This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first matchup 66-58. Anthony Gill had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.

The Hurricanes come into this game 21-5 Straight Up (SU) and 15-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Miami (FL) has averaged 66.6 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 76.8. The Hurricanes are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a superb .751 from the free throw line. Turning to the defensive side, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Hurricanes, who allow only 66.5 points per game. Miami (FL)’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Miami (FL) offense, which averages just 10.7 turnovers per game.

Over on the other bench, Virginia has a SU record of 21-5 and an ATS record of 12-12. The Cavaliers convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking seventh in the country at .496. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Cavaliers. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.57. The Cavaliers are one of the top defensive teams on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 62.6 points allowed per away game.

In their previous meeting this season, Virginia beat Miami (FL), taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Cavaliers have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Virginia held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Miami (FL) never did so in those games.

Predictions: SU Winner – Mia-Fl, ATS Winner – Mia-Fl