Penn State vs. Virginia College Basketball Picks: The University of Virginia Cavaliers will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virg., in the opening game of the 2009 BIG TEN/ACC Challenge. The game, to be televised by ESPN2, tips-off at 7 p.m. ET.
College basketball oddsmakers at online sportsbook BetUS.com list Virginia as 6-chalk ATS and -260 favorite on the BetUS moneyline versus the Nittany Lions.
Virginia enters the game with a 4-2 record after splitting two games in the Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico, Nov. 24-25. The Cavaliers lost to Stanford 57-52 before defeating Cleveland State 76-65. Virginia rallied from a 10-point second half deficit in the victory over Cleveland State. Virginia covered the 2.5-point spread, and the 141 points sailed OVER that game's posted total of 126.
Penn State has won its last two games, defeating Davidson (59-57) and Sacred Heart (87-75). In the victory over Sacred Heart on Nov. 25, the Nittany Lions shot 63.8 percent from the field. Penn State failed to cover the 17-point spread versus Sacred Heart, but the combined 152 points made it OVER the posted total of 142.
Junior guard Talor Battle leads Penn State in scoring, rebounding and assists with averages of 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season and is a preseason candidate for the 2010 Wooden and Naismith awards. Other double figure scorers for the Nittany Lions are junior forward David Jackson (11.2 ppg.) and junior forward Jeff Brooks (10.3 ppg.).
Virginia leads the series with Penn State 5-2 and the Cavaliers have won the last four games in the series. UVa has won all three games played in Charlottesville in the series.
College basketball Picks: Take the Cavs -6.
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