Virginia vs California Prediction 1/8/25 College Basketball Picks

The Virginia Cavaliers are visiting the California Golden Bears on Wednesday, January 8th at the Haas Pavilion. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears Prediction. We will examine:

The California Golden Bears’ recent form and player performance

The Virginia Cavaliers’ recent form and player performance

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the California Golden Bears

Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Virginia Cavaliers

Recent betting trends in games played between Virginia Cavaliers and California Golden Bears

A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears game

California Golden Bears Preview

The California Golden Bears have a 7-7 record this season and are sitting in the 16th place of the Atlantic Coast. The Bears are coming off a 68-80 loss to Clemson. The Bears are 7-6-1 against the spread, and 9-5 in over/under, while they have a 6-2 home record.

Offensively, California is averaging 77.8 points per game, which ranks 122nd in the nation. Defensively, they allow 76.9 points per game (312th). The Golden Bears shoot 45.4% from the field (166th) and 35.9% from beyond the arc (86th). The Golden Bears shoot 74.5% from the free-throw line (97th) and are grabbing 36.4 rebounds per game (182nd).

Andrej Stojakovic leads California in scoring this season, with an average of 19.9 points and 4.5 rebounds, while Jeremiah Wilkinson adds 12.6 points. California will face Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and NC State following this one.

Virginia Cavaliers Preview

The Virginia Cavaliers have an 8-6 record this season and are sitting in the 9th place of the Atlantic Coast. They are coming off a 50-70 loss to Louisiana. The Cavaliers are 5-9 against the spread, and 6-8 in over/under, while having a 0-2 road record.

Offensively, Virginia is averaging 61.4 points per game, which ranks 360th in the nation. Defensively, they are allowing 61.5 points per game, which is the 12th-best nationally. The Cavaliers shoot 43.8% from the field (234th) and 36.8% from beyond the arc (60th). The Cavaliers shoot 73.2% from the free throw line (139th) and are grabbing 31.1 rebounds per game (346th).

Isaac McNeely leads Virginia scoring this season, with an average of 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and a team-high 3.1 assists, while Elijah Saunders adds 12.1 points and 4.9 rebounds. Virginia will meet Stanford after this game.

Why the California Golden Bears will win

• California has won seven of its last eight night games at Haas Pavilion.
• Virginia has lost three of its last four games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Virginia has lost the first half in four of its last five games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Why the Virginia Cavaliers will win

• California has lost each of its last eight games against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Virginia has won each of its last four night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• California has lost the first half in each of its last three night games.

Total Points Facts

• Each of California’s last 21 games against non-AP-ranked opponents has produced a total of 133+ points.
• Five of Virginia’s last six games have produced a total of 126 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• California ranks 34th among Division 1 teams for free throws made per game this season (17.6).
• California ranks 41st among Division 1 teams for free throw attempts per game this season (23.6).
• Virginia ranks 364th among Division 1 teams for pace this season (60.0).
• Virginia ranks 363rd among Division 1 teams for field goal attempts per game this season (50.4).

Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears Prediction

Virginia has won both previous meetings against California, but were 1-1 against the spread, while both games went under the point total. In this Virginia Cavaliers vs California Golden Bears Prediction, California is coming as -4.5 home favorites. California is better offensively, scoring 16.4 points more than Virginia, while Virginia is better defensively, allowing 15.3 points less. The Golden Bears are winning by an average of 0.9 points this season, while the Cavaliers are losing by an average of 0.1 points. Both teams have been involved in higher-scoring games lately, as they are 9-4 to the over in their last 13 games combined, and I expect this trend to continue in this matchup. Take the over.