Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Virginia and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have jumped out to a quick 32-28 lead against American.

If Virginia keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 7-5 in no time. On the other hand, American will have to make due with a 6-6 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

American Eagles @ Virginia Cavaliers

Current Records: American 6-5, Virginia 6-5

How To Watch

What to Know

The Virginia Cavaliers' homestand will continue as they prepare to take on the American Eagles at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers' defense has only allowed 60.5 points per game this season, so the Eagles' offense will have their work cut out for them.

American is facing Virginia at the wrong time: Virginia suffered their first home loss of the season on Wednesday and they're likely out for redemption. They fell just short of the Tigers by a score of 64-62.

Despite the loss, Virginia had strong showings from Elijah Saunders, who earned 15 points along with two blocks, and Taine Murray, who went 5 for 9 en route to 14 points. Murray had some trouble finding his footing against Bethune-Cook. last Thursday, so this was a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, after a string of five wins, American's good fortune finally ran out on Wednesday. They took a serious blow against Saint Joseph's, falling 84-57. The over/under was set at 141 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.

Despite their defeat, American saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Greg Jones, who went 6 for 7 en route to 19 points plus six rebounds and five steals, was perhaps the best of all. What's more, Jones also posted a 85.7% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's posted since back in January. Matt Rogers was another key player, going 8 for 13 en route to 19 points.

Virginia's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 6-5. As for American, they dropped their record down to 6-5 with the defeat, which was their fifth straight on the road.

Looking forward, Virginia is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 13.5 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they're sitting on a three game streak of covering the spread when playing at home.

Odds

Virginia is a big 13.5-point favorite against American, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 13.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The oddsmakers are predicting a defensive showdown and set the over/under low at 120.5 points.

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