No. 20 Virginia Opens As A Near Touchdown Underdog In Week 12 Matchup vs Duke

Virginia Cavaliers will be looking to respond after a 16-9 defeat at the hands of Wake Forest. Virginia is still an impressive team at 8-2 and 5-1 in the ACC. They have shocked a lot of people this season with a formidable defense and a productive well-balanced attack on offense.

As Virginia gets set to hit the road to face Duke for its week 12 matchup, the Cavaliers face a stiff test and probably one of their toughest matchups of the year. According to Fanduel Sportsbook, UVA is a 6.5-point underdog with the over/under at 59.5. It will be a tough environment for the Cavaliers, but they faced a similar test a few weeks ago against California, going on the road in a long trip west. Virginia hadn’t won in the Pacific area time until they won a few weeks ago.

Addressing Problems Offensively

Latest — Nov 8, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) looks on from the field against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The biggest thing for the Cavaliers is figuring out the offense and instead of kicking fieldgoals converting them to touchdowns. The biggest question heading into this week is the health of quarterback Chandler Morris, who was knocked out of the last game.

“I mean, he (Chandler Morris) came back out, I know he's in street clothes there, and said he was feeling all right. We'll know more when we get some more tests early in the week, tomorrow and Monday. But man, you've got to, anytime you get hit in the head or up above the neck, you've got to make sure that you take that with a lot of caution, and so being very cautious. But from what I seen out there, he seemed like he was doing okay.

“I think when you look at it, we had a low pass there coming out for 15 15-yard gain that was negated. Then we had a false start penalty that put us, you know, behind the chains and just off in the inches, you know, they do a really good job, as I said that up front, of making it challenging in the run game. It took us a little while to get going, and then Chandler goes down. Then we have some opportunities in the red zone that we don't capitalize on, and never really were able to create, you know, the momentum offensively, and we were looking for that, that explosive play, to get us going. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it until it was too late.”

The Cavaliers are a team that plays well when they are doubted or their back is against the wall. They faced a similar notion when they defeated then No. 8-ranked Florida State and rose to the occasion and won 46-38 in double overtime. They are an all-around team that wins in all three phases. Expect them to respond in a major way on Saturday against Duke.

For More Virginia Football News:

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Where Would Virginia Play If The College Football Playoff Started Today?

What do the Advanced Analytics Say About Virginia's Matchup vs Wake Forest?