Duke vs Virginia Tech Odds
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-3.5 -105 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | -160 |
| Virginia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+3.5 -115 | 146.5 -110o / -110u | +135 |
Big Monday in the ACC is here, featuring the 15-4 Duke Blue Devils and the 10-6 Virginia Tech Hokies. Both teams are coming off winning efforts on Saturday.
While each team won their respective games, it couldn't have happened differently. The Hokies dominated Georgia Tech for 40 minutes, while Duke nearly lost at home against Clemson.
Here's NCAAB odds and a pick for Duke vs. Virginia Tech.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke doesn't look dominant or unbeatable, despite winning three of its past four games. Georgia Tech led Duke for most of the game, Louisville competed and Clemson should've won on Saturday in Cameron Indoor.
You can point to Duke's defense as the cause of the inconsistent play, as it's allowing 1.00 or more points per possession in the past four games. Duke isn't national title good if the defense isn't stepping up, particularly at defending the perimeter.
That matters even more against one of the elite shooting teams in the ACC — Virginia Tech.
On the season, Duke ranks 37th nationally in Defensive Efficiency.
While the Blue Devils' defense is shaky, their offense is the best in the ACC. Duke owns the ACC's highest Offensive Efficiency in conference play.
The elite offense runs through dominant big man Kyle Filipowski, who's averaging 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Surely, "Flip" is feeling some extra motivation coming off his worst game of the season, where Clemson held him to nine points and fouled him out.
Duke isn't nearly as reliant on 3s as their opponents, but it's equally effective from deep (38% on decent volume). The guards all shoot it consistently from deep: Jeremy Roach (44%), Tyrese Proctor (37%) and Jared McCain (41%).
McCain is rapidly blossoming into the next great Duke guard, as he's scored 20+ points in two of the past three games. He's well beyond his years in terms of scoring and poise.
The guards are very safe and clear with their playmaking decisions, leading to Duke's elite offensive turnover percentage. If the game comes down to turnovers, that's a battle Duke will win nearly every time.
Sports betting is coming to the Tar Heel State! Just like Duke takes care of the ball, we will take care of the North Carolina sports betting news!
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech enters this contest sitting on the outside looking in of the NCAA tournament bubble. The Hokies' record is fine, as they're 13-7 with decent metrics. They have a very clean resume, not holding any ugly losses while owning a couple of big wins, namely against Iowa State in the non-conference slate.
That win showed Virginia Tech is capable of posting huge victories against top-15 caliber teams. It'll have another shot against Duke on Monday.
The hometown Hokies play the same style as usual under Mike Young, attempting triples on 43% of their possessions in ACC play and connecting on 39.2% of them (second in the ACC).
Also, Virginia Tech boasts the best effective field goal percentage in the conference but only ranks fifth in Offensive Efficiency.
So, why the variance? Shouldn't Virginia Tech's offense be more efficient? Well, turnovers limit the dominance of its offense. Turning the ball over 19.8% of the time could shift the momentum of a game — and force you to capitalize on every possession that isn't a turnover.
It just puts far too much pressure on the offense, and the opposing team usually turns them into points of their own.
A trio of shooters make Virginia Tech's offense lethal from the perimeter. Point guard Sean Pedulla, wing Tyler Nickel and shooting guard Hunter Catoor all shoot 39% or better from 3.
Pedulla is the fulcrum of Virginia Tech's offense with his scoring and playmaking ability. One issue that's risen this year for the veteran guard: a surge in turnovers, as he's turned the ball over six times or more in four of the past five games.
You shouldn't give this explosive Duke offense more scoring opportunities than needed, so Pedulla needs to be more careful with the basketball, which could make the offense a force to reckoned with.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech
Betting Pick & Prediction
The shots will fall for Virginia Tech. Pedulla and Cattoor are confident in the moment, and those two are good enough to combine for 10 3s on a good night.
Back at home, the Hokies will need a marquee win for their NCAA tourney resume, and I think they'll at least cover. The moneyline could be worth a sprinkle, too.
Pick: Virginia Tech +3.5 (Play to +3)
