On the whole most March Madness matchups are between teams from separate conferences that rarely if ever play. But that will not be the case Friday night at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. Indeed, the Duke Blue Devils and Virginia Tech Hokies are quite familiar with each other as ACC rivals. So far in the Big Dance, the Hokies have bene the more impressive team with two solid wins. As for Duke the barely escaped betting lines NCAA basketball disaster in a near loss to UCF in the second round. And Tech beat Duke in their last meeting.
Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies
Date and Time: Friday, March 29, 2019, 9:39 p.m. ET
Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech | +7½ (-110) | 144½ (-110) |  |
| Duke | -7½ (-110) | 144½ (-110) | |
| |||
Duke vs. Virginia Tech TV Coverage: CBS
Duke Blue Devils
Last time out the Duke Blue Devils has a near death experience but survived a 77-76 win over Central Florida. However, Duke failed to beat the betting lines NCAA basketball as 13-point overlays. Betting value continues to plague Duke in recent days. As an example, the Blue Devils have covered only two of their last eight games. Duke failed to cover both of their wins last weekend in NCAA Tournament play. Overall their record is 31-5 straight up, 18-17-1 against the spread with just 10 of their games clearing the total.
Virginia Tech Hokies
By contrast Virginia Tech has offered much better wagering value. Five payouts in their last eight games have pleased gamblers with the Hokies. Virginia Tech has also gone under the total in four consecutive games. First round action saw the Hokies pay in a 66-52 win over Saint Louis. Secondly, they were 67-58 winners over Liberty as 9.5-point overlays. Head coach Buzz Williams team is now 26-8 straight up, 17-15-1 vs. the odds, and 16-16-1 on totals.
Stats to Consider
Consider the online betting metrics for this game. Virginia Tech ranks ninth in the nation for defense but 146th for scoring offense. Correspondingly the Hokies rank eight in the country for three-point field goal attempts. Also, Tech is ranked 19th in the country for free throw shooting. Counter to the Hokies is Duke’s national rankings of ninth for scoring offense and 70th for points allowed. Of great concern is the Blue Devils horrible mark of 331st for three-point shooting. Balanced against that is an impressive mark of 16th in the country for field goal shooting percentage allowed.
Team vs. Team
In addition to their recent problems on the board is the fact that Duke has not been an effective March Madness play. To illuminate the Blue Devils have failed to cover their last four NCAA Tournament games. Furthermore, the Hokies have gotten the money in five of their last seven games against Duke. And they have won the last two head to head meetings straight up.
Matchup to Watch
On this occasion there will be plenty of betting lines NCAA basketball hype about the great Zion Williamson of Duke. And justifiably so. But the fact remains Tech has shown superior ability at getting the money.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech NCAA games Betting Odds Picks
In this situation Virginia Tech rates as the better value.
Duke vs. Virginia Tech NCAA Betting Online Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies
Duke vs. Virginia Tech NCAA Betting Online Score Prediction: Virginia Tech 75, Duke 76
Catch highlights of Duke’s close call against UCF!