Colorado State vs. Virginia prediction, best bets by proven expert

The 2024 First Four features a matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers (23-10) of the ACC and the Colorado State Rams (24-10) of the Mountain West in Dayton, Ohio. The Wahoos finished the regular season in third place in the ACC before losing to N.C. State in the ACC Tournament semifinal round. CSU finished the regular season in seventh place in the Mountain West and would go on to lose to eventual champion New Mexico in the conference tournament semifinals. UVA will be making its ninth appearance in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments. The Rams are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years, and 12th all time.

Tipoff is 9:10 p.m. ET at UD Arena. The latest Colorado State vs. Virginia odds via SportsLine consensus list the Rams as 2.5-point favorites, while the over/under is 121. Before making any Virginia vs. Colorado State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Jimmie Kaylor.

Kaylor is a betting and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered college sports and the NFL for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former high level athlete — he was a Division-I All-American and professional athlete — gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college basketball landscape and has been cashing in big for SportsLine members for the last two years.

Kaylor enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 19-9 run on his college basketball picks for SportsLine. He is up 10.1 units, returning a profit of $1,010 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed his picks this season is way up.

Now, the Kaylor has his sights on Virginia vs. Colorado State in the First Four 2024 and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Colorado State vs. UVA:

Colorado State vs. Virginia spread: Colorado State -2.5
Colorado State vs. Virginia over/under: 121 points
Colorado State vs. Virginia money line: Virginia +123, Colorado State -147
CSU: The Rams rank 12th in the country in strength of schedule.
UVA: The Cavaliers allow 59.6 points per game.
Colorado State vs. Virginia picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Colorado State can cover
The Rams climbed as high as No. 13 in the national polls during the regular season. The Rams’ non-conference resume included wins over Creighton, Colorado, Washington and Boston College, and their overall strength of schedule ranked 12th in the country. Niko Medved’s team is experienced and ranks among the top teams in the country in efficiency on both ends of the floor.

Senior point guard Isaiah Stevens leads the charge for CSU. The program’s all-time leading scorer is averaging 16.9 points, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and is a true floor general. The Rams have leaned on a trio of transfers in Nique Clifford (12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists), Joel Scott (12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds) and Patrick Cartier (10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds) to round out their core group of players. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Virginia can cover
Virginia is one of the top defensive teams in college basketball. The Wahoos enter Tuesday allowing only 59.6 points per game. That figure ranks third in the country, and Tony Bennett is one of the most accomplished head coaches in the NCAA Tournament field.

Virginia is led by guards Reece Beekman (14.3 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals), Isaac McKneely (12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds), and Ryan Dunn (8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks). Dunn is an extremely athletic wing who is widely considered a likely first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers have played in eight of the last nine NCAA Tournaments. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

How to make Colorado State vs. Virginia picks
Kaylor has analyzed Virginia vs. Colorado State from every angle and he’s leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.