Virginia vs Boston College Odds, Pick for Wednesday

KenPom has the ACC ranked as the fifth-best conference, but this matchup will be a testament to the depth the ACC possesses. The Virginia Cavaliers travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on the Boston College Eagles.

Virginia comes into this matchup on a two-game skid, but is 20-8 on the season. The recent losses have been staggering as they lost by 35 to Virginia Tech and followed that up with a 10-point loss to North Carolina.

The Eagles are on a similar track and have also dropped their past two matchups. However, Boston College is just 6-10 in conference play and has yet to show it can hang with the upper echelon of the ACC.

Virginia may be one of the top teams in the ACC, but it certainly is not because of its proficiency on the offensive end of the floor. The Cavaliers are 188th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 235th in effective field goal percentage.

The Cavaliers are a traditional Tony Bennett club as they are methodical in the half-court, but use plenty of motion and screens to create looks. The majority of the looks they create come from inside the arc, but they've been very inefficient from the mid-range.

However, this could be a game in which they succeed with their outside shooting. Boston College has allowed its opposition to covert over 44% of their looks from the mid-range and over 35% from beyond the arc, an area where the Cavaliers rank 48th nationally.

On the other end of the floor, the story is entirely different. Boston College has shown plenty of flashes offensively as it's proficient at all three levels and has a star in dynamic big man Quinten Post.

However, Post and company will have to contend with one of the stoutest defensive units in the country. Virginia ranks ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency and 13th in effective field goal percentage.

The Cavaliers excel at defending the paint, ranking second in block rate and 18th in 2-point percentage allowed. So, it's likely they will make Post earn his buckets inside, which will cause the offense to stagnate if he runs cold or is denied the ball.

I get that home court is certainly a factor, but the Eagles opening as the favorite feels wrong. Boston College has struggled in conference play and is favored against one of the top teams in the ACC? No.

Virginia is in a tremendous buy-low spot after suffering back-to-back losses. The Cavaliers will lock down the Eagles on the defensive end and should have opportunities to get things going from the perimeter on offense.

Pick: Virginia +1.5