Check out our free Virginia vs Virginia Tech pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Blacksburg. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Virginia vs Virginia Tech Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Cavaliers vs Hokies Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Virginia Cavaliers at Virginia Tech Hokies
- Where: Blacksburg at Cassell Coliseum
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: Virginia +1.5, VIR -103 | VTECH -120 O/U 129.5
Cavaliers Preview:
The Virginia will take the floor in today’s game in the middle of a 7 game win streak and have an overall record of 17-3. On the road, the Cavaliers will be playing their 7th game of the season, having gone 5-2. So far, the Cavaliers have been the underdog 3 times, going 2-1 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +1.5 underdogs on the spread.
Virginia will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Armaan Franklin who is averaging 13.05 points per game for the Cavaliers. Franklin is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Cavaliers’ offensive game plan is the play of Kihei Clark who has hit 42.2% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.35 points per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Virginia this season, as they are currently ranked 431st in college basketball at 62.6 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.2%, placing them 358th in the NCAA.
Hokies Preview:
Virginia Tech heads into this matchup having played 22 games and have an overall record sitting at 13-9. Currently, the Hokies have been the home team 15 times, sitting with a record of 13-2. The Hokies’ are sitting with a betting line that is -1.5 points in their favor. For the season, Virginia Tech has been favored to win in 19 games, sitting with a mark of 13-6.
Virginia Tech’s leading scorer this season is Sean Pedulla, who is averaging 15.68 points per contest. So far, Pedulla has accounted for 21.23% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.55 rebounds per game and 4.09 assists. Grant Basile is the second leading scorer for the Hokies, averaging 14.91 points per game. Between him and Basile, they are accounting for 41.4% of the team’s scoring.
Virginia Tech comes into their matchup vs Virginia looking to improve their offensive numbers, as they are just 215th in college basketball at 70.7 points per game. One bright spot for them has been their ability to knock down 3-point shots, as they have connected at a rate of 39.3%. So far, 41.43% of the Hokies’ shots have been from beyond the arc. When looking at the team’s pace of play, they are currently a below average unit at 62.1 possessions per game.
Free Spread Prediction: Virginia Cavaliers +1.5
After boiling down all the statistics and trends, it is clear why the oddsmakers have placed the Virginia Tech Hokies as the favorites to win. Not only do the Virginia Cavaliers have a mediocre record vs the spread at away of late 3-6-1, but Virginia Tech also has the statistical edge in 3-pointers made per game and overall field goal percentage. Yet, our model shows that the current odds of -1.5 points in favor of the Hokies is too high and there is good value on grabbing Virginia vs the spread. While most bettors will likely be piling on the Virginia Tech Hokies as the favorite, we full good about taking the oppsite side and grabbing Virginia taking the points.
