The Norfolk State Spartans take on the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
Virginia is favored by -45.5 points on the spread. Norfolk State, meanwhile, enters as a +45.5 underdog and is +8000 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 55.5 total points.
Here’s my Norfolk State vs. Virginia prediction and college football pick for Friday, September 11.
Norfolk State vs Virginia Prediction
- Norfolk State vs. Virginia Pick: Virginia 1H -24.5 (Play to -26.5)
My Virginia vs. Norfolk State best bet is on the Cavaliers to cover the first-half spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page. For more picks, be sure to download the Action Network app.
Norfolk State vs Virginia Odds
| Norfolk State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+45.5 -115 | 55.5 -104o / -115u | +8000 |
| Virginia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-45.5 -105 | 55.5 -104o / -115u | |
- Norfolk State vs Virginia point spread: Virginia -45.5 (-115), Norfolk State +45.5 (-105)
- Norfolk State vs Virginia over/under: 55.5 Total Points
- Norfolk State vs Virginia moneyline: Norfolk State +8000
Norfolk State vs Virginia College Football Preview
Norfolk State Spartans Betting Preview
Norfolk State has struggled through a tough start to the Michael Vick era. The Spartans went just 1-11 last season, with their only victory coming over a non-Division I opponent.
There was some talent on the 2025 squad, but it was close and lost six games by one score. This year’s squad isn't as talented, particularly at the quarterback position.
Deljay Bailey transferred in from Itawamba Community College and completed 27-of-40 pass attempts for 213 yards with three touchdowns in the opener against Winston-Salem State.
Norfolk State has just one explosive pass play on the season, and against Old Dominion, half of its 126 rushing yards came on two plays. The offensive line is weak and will struggle against UVA's front.
The defense didn’t play too badly against Old Dominion, as the Monarchs deployed an extreme rush-heavy offense that featured a heavy dose of quarterback run.
The run defense held up outside of four long rushing plays, but the secondary got beat deep on a pair of long passes.
The defensive line played very hard, with Eugene Allen IV and Josiah Davis each registering a sack. The Spartans registered seven tackles for loss overall.
Lining up against Virginia will be a test for this defense.
Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
Virginia looked great in the Week 0 opener against NC State despite having a half-dozen players out due to lingering injuries sustained in fall camp.
Quarterback Beau Pribula threw the ball very well, albeit in limited attempts, as the Wahoos threw just 11 passes while running it 57 times.
Pribula was the team’s leading rusher in the game with 110 yards, and his playmaking ability was a massive difference-maker in the opener. Virginia will have no issues on offense in the opener against Norfolk State.
Short fields and opportunistic defense set Virginia up in the first half, as the Cavaliers really punished NC State quarterback CJ Bailey early on. Bailey couldn’t find receivers downfield and was a non-factor running the football.
In fact, UVA allowed just one explosive play against what was one of the top offenses in the ACC last season.
Kam Robinson, Corey Costner and Zeke Larry are expected back this week, so the defense will be even stronger this time around.
Norfolk State vs Virginia Pick, Betting Analysis
This line opened with Virginia listed as a 43.5-point favorite with a total set at 54.5. Virginia has since moved to a 44.5-point favorite or even larger at some shops. I'm going to lay it here with Virginia in the first half at the current line of -24.5
This Hoos' defense is nasty, and Norfolk State will struggle to move the football. The Spartans have virtually no downfield passing attack, and they averaged just 6.7 yards per catch against Old Dominion.
They gave up five sacks and 11 tackles for loss, so the offensive line will once again struggle to block the Havoc-minded UVA defensive front. I completely expect quick possessions and punts resulting in short fields for UVA.
Meanwhile, Virginia's offense looked great in Week 0, and the run game should wear down Norfolk State, which was on the field for a ton of run action against Old Dominion last week.
Virginia has several running back options, including Jekail Middlebrook, Xavier Brown and Peyton Lewis. All of them should register touches in the first half. I expect this offense to run chunk plays on the ground, which will set up some deep shots through the air.
Virginia connected on some deep passes in the opener and should see success in that area here.
Norfolk State doesn't have a strong secondary, and the pass rush will be largely ineffective against Virginia, so expect Pribula to have time to throw the ball.
The Cavaliers are just too talented to let Norfolk State hang around, and the Spartans' offense has too many deficiencies to put drives together.
Virginia will work several players back into the rotation early in this game, so we should be getting the A-team in the first half.
I could see some depth players being rotated in during the second half with the game out of reach, but the Hoos should have an extended here. I'm laying -24.5 in the first half.
Pick: Virginia 1H -24.5 (Play to -26.5)
Norfolk State vs Virginia Betting Trends
