Virginia vs. Colorado State: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Virginia vs. Colorado State. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Virginia vs. Colorado State

Virginia 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

After a really strong late January into early February, Virginia seemed to limp into the tournament. The offense that wasn’t that good to begin with, fell off a cliff as they scored just 57.8 PPG as they went 4-5 down the stretch. This version of the Cavaliers plays the same style you’re used to with an uber slow tempo and elite defense, but the offense isn’t up to snuff. Enter Colorado State who fought through a competitive Mountain West as well as picking up non-conference wins over the likes of Creighton and Colorado. They play a slow tempo too so they’re not afraid to get into the muck with Virginia. They take care of the ball and shoot lights out from inside the arc, 56.7%. In addition they have the second best assist to FGM ratio in the country. In a game where there won’t be much scoring as the pace of the game won’t allow for it, the Rams are the more efficient offensive team. I can’t trust Virginia with the way they’ve looked the last few weeks and Colorado State should survive and advance.

Colorado State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

An all-around team that ranks in the top 45 offensively and defensively, the Rams know how to score at the rim. Isaiah Stevens is an elite facilitator and scorer with one of the highest assist rates in the league. Nique Clifford is a capable combo guard/forward who can score at all levels, and Joel Scott is the Rams’ second-highest scorer. The Colorado State offense is a well-rounded machine with a top-five assist-to-field goal rate. Defensively, Colorado State forces teams deep into the shot clock with the 360th-slowest pace of defensive play in the country.

The thing about this team is that it does everything well but nothing at an elite level. The Rams’ double-digit win over Creighton earlier in the year was due in part to Creighton’s truly awful night of shooting. Otherwise, there really aren’t any surprises on the Rams’ resume. Their shot selection isn’t great, their rebounding is unremarkable, and they don’t have a high free-throw rate. I don’t want to describe any team as bland, but ranking in the top 100 in Haslametrics’ consistency metrics, Colorado State could perhaps come up with a couple of wins but nothing more.

2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Virginia vs. Colorado State

After a really strong stretch in late January into early February, Virginia seemed to limp into the tournament. The offense, which wasn’t that good to begin with, fell off a cliff as they scored just 57.8 PPG and went 4-5 down the stretch. This version of the Cavaliers plays the same style you’re used to with an uber slow tempo and elite defense, but the offense isn’t up to snuff. Enter Colorado State who fought through a competitive Mountain West as well as picking up non-conference wins over the likes of Creighton and Colorado. They play a slow tempo, too, so they’re not afraid to get into the muck with Virginia. They take care of the ball and shoot lights out from inside the arc, 56.7%. In addition, they have the second-best assist-to-FGM ratio in the country. In a game where there won’t be much scoring as the pace of the game won’t allow for it, the Rams are the more efficient offensive team. I can’t trust Virginia with the way they’ve looked the last few weeks and Colorado State should survive and advance.

2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: Virginia vs. Colorado State

Pick: Colorado State -1.5 (-110 on DraftKings)

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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

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