The 13-seed Ohio Bobcats (16-7) meet the 4-seed Virginia Cavaliers (18-6) Saturday, March 20 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Indiana for a first-round game in the West Regional. The tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m. ET and will broadcast on truTV.
Below, we look at the early March Madness Round 1 matchup Ohio-Virginia odds and lines. Will one of these teams end up as this year’s National Champion? Don’t forget to check out all of the teams’ March Madness odds.
Ohio basketball has had a proud history, and who can forget guys like Snoopy Graham, Dave Jamerson and Gary Trent, a.k.a. the “Shaq of the MAC”?
Head coach Jeff Boals, who previously had success at Stony Brook, has the Bobcats back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2012.
The last time Ohio was here they stunned 4-seed Michigan in their first game, and took down South Florida in the third round, reaching the Sweet Sixteen before getting ousted by North Carolina in overtime.
This season the Bobcats rolled through the MAC Tournament with three wins and three covers, including a 15-point win over Buffalo in the final as 2.5-point underdogs.
That avenged a 20-point dusting in the regular-season finale in Athens against the Bulls, the only loss and non-cover for the Bobcats across the past 10.
PLAY in the USA TODAY Sports’ bracket sweepstakes! Printable brackets. Private groups. Prizes. And mobile users can play USA TODAY Sports’ Couchketball virtual hoops challenge – the interactive basketball game where your skills determine the outcome!
The last time we saw Virginia, or really, we didn’t see them, was at the ACC Tournament. They topped Syracuse in their opening game in Greensboro, but could not play Georgia Tech in the second game due to a positive COVID test within the program.
After a three-game SU and ATS skid from Feb. 15-24, they have rattled off wins in three in a row, although they still only covered one of those outings.
Remember, too, Virginia is the defending national champion. They cut down the nets in Minneapolis in April 2019. Last season, of course, we did not have an NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the ‘Hoos were the last team we saw featured in “One Shining Moment”.
They’re a 4-seed this year, but to be the champs you have to beat the champs, and they won’t likely go quietly into the night.
Ohio vs. Virginia: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 10:15 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Ohio +280 (bet $100 to win $280) | Virginia -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Ohio +7.5 (-110) | Virginia -7.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 131.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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