SMU Mustangs vs Virginia Cavaliers Prediction, 1/15/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds
Game: SMU Mustangs vs Virginia Cavaliers
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Location: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA
TV: ESPN+
The SMU Mustangs (12-4) are headed to John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday where they will take on the Virginia Cavaliers (8-8).

The SMU Mustangs faced Georgia Tech and took home the win by a score of 93-71 in their last contest. Regarding fouls, the Mustangs ended up with 17 and Georgia Tech totaled 16 fouls. They made 9 of 23 tries from beyond the arc. Georgia Tech ended up shooting 57.1% from the free throw line by knocking down 8 of their 14 attempts. In addition, Georgia Tech collected 33 rebounds (8 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Georgia Tech totaled 22 dimes and had 2 steals for the matchup. In the matter of the defense, SMU allowed the other team to shoot 45.8% from the floor on 27 of 59 shooting. They also doled out 25 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 20 turnovers and having 15 steals. In reference to grabbing rebounds, they collected 33 with 10 of them being offensive. At the free throw line, the Mustangs converted 9 of their 15 attempts for a rate of 60.0%. SMU walked away from the game with a 50.0% FG percentage (35 of 70) and knocked down 14 of their 28 three-point shots.
Chuck Harris is one player who had an impact in the game. He ended up shooting 63.6% from the field and also totaled 2 dimes. He played for 30 mins and collected 3 rebounds. He ended up with 21 points on 7 out of 11 shooting.
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SMU comes into this one with a win-loss record of 12-4 on the year. They are averaging 84.7 pts per contest (18th in the nation) on 47.5% from the floor. The Mustangs are connecting on 38.2% on 3-pointers (131 of 343) and 72.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, SMU is snagging 40.6 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 260 dimes for the season, which is 93rd in D-1 in terms of passing. They turn it over 11.6 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 16.8 fouls on a nightly basis.
On the defensive end, the Mustangs are forcing their opponents into 13.5 turnovers per game and they draw 19.1 personal fouls. They are 275th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 241 relinquished this year. The Mustangs are giving up a FG percentage of 41.3% (398 of 964) and they relinquish 33.5 rebounds per game as a unit. They give up 35.8% on shots from downtown and they rank 226th in college in points per game allowed (72.6).
The last time they took the court, the Virginia Cavaliers took a defeat with a final score of 88-65 when they played Stanford. With respect to rebounding, Virginia allowed Stanford to get 27 overall (9 offensive). They wrapped up this game 41.7% from three-point range by going 10 of 24 and finished the contest at 16 out of 17 at the free throw line (94.1%). The Cavaliers permitted Stanford to bury 31 of their 61 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.8% in this game. When the game finished, the Cavaliers went 21 for 45 from the floor which gave them a rate of 46.7%. In regard to 3-point attempts, Virginia made 10 of their 21 attempts (47.6%). They were able to convert 13 of the free throw tries for a rate of 81.3%. Stanford was called for 16 fouls for the matchup which got the Cavaliers to the free throw line for a total of 16 shots. They also turned it over 12 times, while getting 2 steals for the contest. The Cavaliers pulled down 16 defensive boards and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 21 for this contest.
Isaac McKneely was important for the Cavaliers for the game. He tallied 22 points in his 36 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 3 dimes for the game. He made 7 of 14 for the game for a rate of 50.0%, and added 2 rebounds.
Virginia has a win-loss mark of 8-8 so far this season. The Cavaliers commit 14.6 fouls every game and they go 75.1% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 14.2 times per game (165th in the nation) and they cough up possession 11.2 times per game. Virginia has totaled 985 points on the year (61.6 per game) and they pull in 30.8 boards per contest. As an offensive unit, the Cavaliers are connecting on 43.2% from the field, which is 272nd in the nation.
The Cavaliers are ranked 26th in college in points per game surrendered with 64.0. They are able to force 9.5 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 41.0% from the field (72nd in college). The Virginia defense gives up 33.0% from downtown (125 of 379) and their opposition knocks down 76.8% of their free throw shots. They have given up 11.7 assists and 33.5 rebounds every game, ranking them 79th and 139th in the country.
Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?
Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take SMU
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Additional Resources:
Virginia Cavaliers - Twitter
SMU Mustangs - Twitter