Virginia vs Notre Dame Prediction 1/27/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Virginia Cavaliers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish meet Tuesday in college basketball action from Purcell Pavilion. Here’s a Virginia vs Notre Dame prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Virginia vs Notre Dame pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview

Virginia got off to a very nice start this year, losing just two of their first 13 games. Over that initial 11-2 run, the Cavaliers’ only losses came courtesy of Butler and Virginia Tech. Virginia would then win five straight over NC State, California, Stanford, Louisville and SMU. After another loss to North Carolina last weekend, the Cavs are sitting at 16-3 overall through their first 19 games.

In the matchup with the Tar Heels on Saturday the Cavaliers went into the locker room with a 43-34 advantage. Virginia got blasted 51-37 in the second half however, ultimately leading to an 85-80 loss at home. Leading the team in scoring was Thijs De Ridder with 20 points, eight boards and two assists. Sam Lewis chipped in 11 points with six rebounds in 28 minutes of work as well.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview

Over on the Notre Dame side, they posted a 9-3 run over their first 12 games and were looking pretty good. The only losses in that time were to Ohio State, Kansas and Houston. Since then however, it’s been a 2-6 run with losses to Fort Wayne, California, Clemson, Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Over the first 20 games of the year Notre Dame has posted an 11-9 record so far.

Matched up against Boston College last weekend, the Fighting Irish were entering the second half with a 35-24 deficit. Notre Dame fought back in the second half on a 44-29 run and made a game of it, ultimately taking the comeback victory 68-64 at home. Fred Payne was the team leader in scoring with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Donald Hand added 17 points with six rebounds as well.

Virginia Cavaliers @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Trends: January 27, 2026

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will win

• The home team has won five of the last six games between Virginia and Notre Dame.
• Virginia has lost three of its last four road games as a top-15 AP-ranked team.
• Notre Dame has won the first half in three of its last four games against AP-ranked opponents at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.

Why the Virginia Cavaliers will win

• Virginia has won 20 of its last 21 January games as a top-15 AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
• Notre Dame has lost each of its last seven night games against AP-ranked opponents.
• Notre Dame has lost the first half in each of its last seven night games against AP-ranked opponents.

Virginia vs Notre Dame Prediction

I’ll lean toward Virginia. The Cavs had a weak second half against a very good North Carolina team in their latest loss, ultimately shooting 45.3 percent with a tepid 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from outside. Virginia had a 38-25 rebounding edge but also gave up 49.2 percent from the field and 45.5 percent (10-of-22) to the hot-shooting Tar Heels. Virginia is still 5-1 in the last six games though, and they’ve scored 70 or more points in all six of those.

As for Notre Dame, they had an ugly first half versus Boston College but cleaned it up in the end. The Irish ended up shooting 40.7 percent from the field with just 23.1 percent (6-of-26) from 3-point range, though. It was Notre Dame’s first win in a six-game span, and they’ve failed to hit 70 points in four of the last five outings.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Virginia Cavaliers -8.5