2024 First Four odds, time, picks: Colorado State vs. Virginia prediction, best bets by proven expert
The Colorado State Rams (24-10) and the Virginia Cavaliers (23-10) are set to battle it out in the 2024 First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday. The winner will be the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on Texas in the first round on Thursday. The Rams climbed as high as No. 13 in the national polls this season, but finished in seventh place in the regular season Mountain West standings. The Cavaliers finished the regular season in third place in the ACC. Both teams lost in the semifinal round of their respective conference tournaments. CSU is 16-16 and UVA is 17-15-1 against the spread this season.
Tipoff from UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio is scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET. The Rams are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Colorado State vs. Virginia odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 121.5 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: 120.5 points
- Colorado State vs. Virginia money line: Virginia +123, Colorado State -144
- 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 are a veteran team led by one of the top players in the country in senior point guard Isaiah Stevens. CSU opened the season winning 13 of its first 14 games, including wins over Creighton and Colorado. The Rams’ lone loss in that stretch came against St. Mary’s, the No. 5 seed in the West Region, and their strength of schedule ranks 12th in all of college basketball.
Stevens leads the team, averaging 16.9 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His supporting cast includes 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). The Rams are making their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last three years, and their 12th all-time. 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.
So who wins Virginia vs. Colorado State in the 2024 First Four, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 19-9 roll on his college basketball best bets, and find out.
