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If you are anything like me, you probably spend the first couple of days of March Madness jumping from channel to channel on TV and having multiple sports pages open on your browser to try and keep up with all the action. Generally speaking, I tend to focus on games where the upset alert is on, or where it looks as though we might be heading into buzzer beater territory. There tend to be a lot of those types of games in the opening round, with favorites often a little nervy against lesser schools who have nothing to lose. Earlier this week, I had the Furman Paladins in as a potential Cinderella story, but they do have a tough opening game against Virginia. The Cavaliers are in as a 5 ½ point favorite, with the point total for this one set at 132 ½. Let’s take a look at the NCAA basketball odds, so you can prepare your betting strategies.

#13 Furman Paladins Vs #4 Virginia Cavaliers Game Info | March Madness Lines

When: Thursday, March 16 at 12:40 PM EST
Where: Amway center, Orlando
TV: truTV

Why bet on the Furman Paladins

No matter what happens on Thursday afternoon, it will not take away from what has been a fantastic season for the Furman Paladins. They went 27-7 overall, winning the regular season Southern Conference crown before going on and also winning the conference tournament. That will give them a huge jolt of confidence, as will the 6-game win streak that they went on to close things out. Let’s start by taking a look at some positive betting points for the Paladins, starting with them being 14-5 ATS in their last 19 games. They are also a very solid 5-1 SU in their last 6 games played in the month of March. In Thursday games, Furman is 11-1 ATS in their last 12. You cannot, though, ignore the fact that they are 1-13 SU in their last 14 versus the ACC. The UNDER has hit in 7 of their last 9 as an underdog.

Why bet on the Virginia Cavaliers

The Virginia Cavaliers ended the season with a 25-7 record, which was good enough to have them in at #14 in the National Rankings. They played particularly well in the ACC Conference Tournament, making it all the way to the final before falling to Duke. It was a disappointing end, but one that they should be able to shake off as they prepare for what they hope will be a deep run in March Madness. This is a team that seems to enjoy playing in the month of March, winning 16 of their last 20. Overall, they are 5-0 versus the Southern Conference, too, so a lot to like when looking at this team SU. A little concerning is that the Cavs are just 3-6 ATS in their last 9 overall. The UNDER has hit in 5 of the last 7 games that Virginia started as a favorite.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Are we looking at a potential upset alert here? Maybe so, and I think that Furman can make things a little uncomfortable for the Cavaliers, although I do think that Virginia will prove to be just a little too strong in the end. Furman Paladins 63 Virginia Cavaliers 67

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?