The Virginia Cavaliers and Miami Hurricanes face off on Thursday in an ACC college football showdown at Hard Rock Stadium. In October of 2020, Miami came away with the 19-14 victory.
Virginia has been up and down this season and they have lost two games in a row. The defense has been a big issue the last couple of games including the last game where they gave up 59 points to North Carolina. In the last game against Wake Forest, the Cavaliers were down 20-3 and they couldn’t make up for it, as they were defeated 37-17. Brennan Armstrong is under center for Virginia and in the last game, he threw for 407 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. On the season, Armstrong has thrown for 1,075 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
On the other side of this matchup is the Miami Hurricanes who sit with a 2-2 record but there are some major questions about this team heading into this game. Starting quarterback D’Eriq King missed the last game with a shoulder injury, and it’s unclear if he’s going to be able to go. Jake Garcia and Tyler Van Dyke both found success against Central Connecticut and both guys would probably go in this game. Miami is averaging 31 points per game while their defense is giving up 26.25 points per game. If King can’t go, it’s going to make the Hurricanes' job a lot tougher in this game.
Virginia is 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 road games. Miami is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games as a home favorite. The underdog is 14-3 against the spread in the last 17 meetings played between the two teams. The under is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Virginia is 5-1 against the spread in the last six meetings played between the two teams in Miami.
Even if King plays, I don’t trust the Hurricanes to win in a comfortable fashion. Armstrong is having a big season for Virginia, and he is going to find success against the Hurricanes defense. Virginia might not win this game, but they will cover the spread.
AUTHOR: Shane Mickle
