Drexel at Virginia

Virginia returns Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grünloh, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory, along with 57.4% of last season's scoring. In three exhibitions, Ryan Odom's Cavaliers lost 82-73 to Vanderbilt, beat Richmond 96-53 and beat Villanova 93-71. Those games went for 155, 149 and 164 combined points. Last season Virginia scored 80.4 points per game with a tempo that ranked 298th nationally, and Odom said before the opener, "I think we can be faster than we were last year." Drexel finished 17-16. Its defense allowed 67.3 points per game, 29th-ranked, while its own offense scored 68.1 at a tempo that ranked 322nd. That slow profile came from a roster that now mixes returners Josh Reed, Clem Edomwonyin and Dillon Tingler with newcomers Amaree Abram, Adrian Petkovic and Panagiotis Pagonis. Virginia's rotation is also bigger than last season's, with a logjam of shooters, so Odom has more players to run with. Drexel shot 35.0% from three last season on 7.8 makes per game, which gives the Dragons a way to answer Virginia's baskets, and that makes the OVER the bet tonight.