The Wright State Raiders play the Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tip-off is set for 1:50 p.m. ET on TBS.
Virginia is favored by 18.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2800. Meanwhile, Wright State is the underdog at +18.5 with a moneyline of +1300. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here’s my Wright State vs. Virginia prediction and college basketball picks for March 20, 2026.
Wright State vs Virginia Prediction
My Pick: Virginia -18.5 or Better
My Wright State vs Virginia best bet is on the Cavaliers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Wright State vs Virginia Odds
| Wright State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+18.5 -115 | 145.5 -105o / -115u | +1300 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-18.5 -105 | 145.5 -105o / -115u | -2800 |
- Wright State vs Virginia spread: Virginia -18.5
- Wright State vs Virginia over/under: 145.5 points
- Wright State vs Virginia moneyline: Wright State +1300, Virginia -2800
Wright State vs Virginia College Basketball Betting Preview
Wright State Basketball
Wright State is dancing for the third time in eight years after winning the Horizon League.
The Raiders' offense is kind of a throwback style in terms of shot selection. Only 33.7% of their field goal attempts are 3s, which has them ranked 301st in the country in 3-point attempt rate.
Across their past eight games, in which they are 7-1, that percentage has dipped lower to 28.7%, ranking them 348th nationally over that span.
Though they don't shoot 3s often, they do it effectively, hitting 42% as a team across their past eight games and 36% on the season.
One player who shoots almost exclusively from deep is sophomore guard Solomon Callaghan, who drills 39% from 3 on 5.3 attempts per game.
Freshman guard Michael Cooper is the team’s leading scorer at 13.4 points per game. He's had an up-and-down season from a scoring perspective, but he did put up 17 points against an ACC opponent at the beginning of the campaign (Cal).
Where Cooper is the most effective is as the ball-handler out of the pick-and-roll. 35% of his scoring has been out of the two-man game, where he's shooting 56% from inside the arc.
Virginia Basketball
Since the calendar flipped to January, Virginia has been playing like a top-10 team, per Bart Torvik.
With a record of 18-3 over that span, the Cavaliers look poised to make a March Madness run.
It's been a block party all season for the defense, which was on full display in the ACC Championship game as Ugonna Onyenso had nine blocks against Duke.
As a team, Virginia has 220 blocks on the season, with Onyenso posting 101 and Johann Grunloh accounting for 75.
San Francisco transfer Malik Thomas had an outstanding ACC Tournament, scoring 15 points or more in all three games. Thomas did a good job of attacking the paint rather than settling for long jumpers, and not only did he make easier shots, but he got to the line more.
Since playing a season-low 14 minutes against Wake Forest, Toledo transfer Sam Lewis has tuned up his aggressiveness, averaging 15 points per game over the past four games on 71% shooting from 3.
Wright State vs Virginia Pick, Betting Analysis
This is a matchup nightmare for Wright State, which ranks 301st nationally in 3-point rate this season.
The Raiders want to score 2-pointers in the half-court against a Virginia defense that held Cam Boozer to 3-for-17 shooting from the field.
Virginia boasted the third-best offensive rebounding rate in the ACC and will have a massive height advantage against an undersized Wright State frontcourt, whose tallest player is 6-foot-9.
Virginia has been playing like a top-10 team for two months, and I think the Cavs keep the good times rolling in a good matchup.
My Pick: Virginia -18.5 or Better
