Butler (4-1) vs Virginia (5-0)
November 23, 2025 2:00 pm EDT
The Line: Virginia Cavaliers -5.5 ; Over/Under: 157.5
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The Butler Bulldogs and the Virginia Cavaliers meet Sunday in college basketball action from Colonial Hall. Here’s a Virginia vs Butler prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Virginia vs Butler pick.
Butler Bulldogs Betting Preview
Butler kicked off the season with a trio of sizable victories. The first came 88-58 on November 5 versus Southern Indiana. Topping the team in that one was Michael Ajayi with 24 points and 12 rebounds. As for game two, the Bulldogs dispatched IUPUI 112-80 thanks in part to Jalen Jackson’s 17 points and eight rebounds. As for game three it was a 98-66 win over Chicago State. That one featured 22 points from Finley Bizjack along with six assists. Butler took their first loss of the year 87-85 versus SMU despite a 43-38 halftime edge. The Bulldogs’ Bizjack notched 18 points in that one and Ajayi doubled up with 14 points and 10 boards in the loss.
Matched up against South Carolina on Friday, the Bulldogs held a seven-point edge at the break. Butler kept the pace there on a 41-41 run and took the win 79-72 in the end. Leading the way was Finley Bizjack with 18 points, and Michael Ajayi doubled up on 15 points with 14 rebounds and three assists. Jamie Kaiser chipped in 14 points with seven rebounds as well.
Virginia Cavaliers Betting Preview
Over on the Cavaliers’ side, they opened up the season on a pretty good run. Their first victory was in the opener versus Rider, as Virginia opened with a 42-32 first half in an 87-53 win. Thijs De Ridder topped the team on 21 points and 10 boards for a double-double, while Johann Grunloh had 12 points with seven rebounds. In their second outing versus NC Central the Cavs won again. Virginia had a 42-25 edge at halftime in an 81-62 win. Thijs De Ridder had 20 points and five boards this time, while Malik Thomas had 12 points with six assists and three rebounds. In their third outing versus Hampton, the Cavaliers jumped out to a 47-19 edge by the break. Virginia closed on 44 more points in a 91-53 win in the end. Chance Mallory led this time with 16 points, three rebounds and two assists. Sam Lewis added 13 points and five boards while Ugonna Onyenso had 10 rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes. Game four was another sizable win 104-78 versus Marshall last weekend. The Cavs were led by De Ridder on 23 points, six boards and three assists in 30 minutes of action.
In their Friday matchup versus Northwestern, the Cavaliers held a fairly modest four-point lead at halftime. Virginia hit a 43-42 advantage the rest of the way and took the win 83-78 in the end. Leading the team in scoring was Thijs De Ridder with 26 points and eight boards, while Chance Mallory added 16 points and eight rebounds. Malik Thomas chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes of work during the Cavs’ win.
Virginia Cavaliers @ Butler Bulldogs Betting Trends: November 23, 2025
Why the Butler Bulldogs will win
- Butler has won four of its last five games.
- Virginia has lost three of its last four games played at neutral venues.
- Butler has won the first half in each of its last five games.
Why the Virginia Cavaliers will win
- Virginia has won each of its last six games against non-Conference opponents.
- Butler has lost each of its last five games against the Atlantic Coast Conference at neutral venues.
- Virginia has won the first half in each of its last seven games against non-Conference opponents.
Virginia vs Butler Prediction
I’ll lean toward Butler. This should be a pretty fun matchup regardless, though. The Bulldogs did pretty well overall in their win over South Carolina State, notching 48.2 percent shooting with a 42-26 rebounding advantage. Butler didn’t shoot well from the line however, hitting just 20 of 34 attempts (58.8 percent). The Bulldogs have scored 79 or more points in every game so far this year.
As for Virginia, they didn’t shoot well (37.5 percent) from the field in their win over Northwestern but made up for it with 30-of-36 (83.3 percent) from the line and a 42-22 rebounding advantage. The Cavaliers should give Butler a good game here, and it’ll be a fun one to watch.
