The 10^th-seed Colorado State Rams (24-10) take on the 10^th-seed Virginia Cavaliers (23-10) as part of the First Four in the Midwest Region of the Men’s Basketball Championship on Tuesday, March 19 at 9:10 PM ET. The action will be held at the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio, with the Rams favored with a -2.5 point spread.

The Rams have gone 4-1 in their last five games and are coming from a Mountain West Championship loss in the Semifinals against the New Mexico Lobos. This was a 74-61 result, where they failed to keep up in the second half of action.

Bettors should pay attention to Isaiah Stevens, who leads the Rams with 16.5 points and 7.0 assists per game. His offensive effectiveness will be crucial to their success against a tough Cavaliers defense. 

They have averaged 76.4 points per game and rank 99^th nationwide for this output. Their efficiency on the offensive end is appealing, too, coming in ranked 42^nd with a rating of 113.3.

On defense, they allow their opponents to average 68.4 points a game and rank 75^th. Getting stops is crucial here, as they rank 115^th with a defensive efficiency of 101.5.

The Cavaliers recently snapped their two-game win streak with a loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack in overtime with a final score of 73-65. This defeat was a shocker in the Semifinal matchup for the ACC Tournament and nearly bumped the Cavaliers out of a better spot or worse in the upcoming March Madness Tournament.

They must rely on Reece Beekman (14.3 PPG, 6.3 AST) to counter what Stevens can potentially do on the floor for the Rams. Their offense already shows lower numbers, and they need a leader to count every possession precisely.

The Cavaliers have nearly one of the slowest offensive numbers in the nation. They average 63.6 points a game and rank 354^th out of 362 teams. Their efficiency on this end ranks 254^th, with a rating of 102.7.

However, their defense is one of the best, and many teams have had issues with it. They allow opponents to score 59.6 points per game and rank third overall. Their efficiency in getting stops ranks 19^th with a rating of 96.2.

MyBookie has you covered with college basketball betting odds, with the Colorado State Rams as 2.5-point favorites. However, market insights paint a different picture, as they show the Cavaliers with the potential to win with a 61.9 percent chance at success.

The Cavaliers boast one of the best defensive efforts in the country and did it successfully in the ACC, arguably one of the toughest conferences out there. If they can find consistency on the offensive end, they will be dangerous in this tournament.