The Virginia Tech Hokies battled in one of the toughest conferences in America this year, and are hoping a wealth of big-game ACC experience will benefit them in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Virginia Tech opens up March Madness with a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama doesn’t have a great overall record but the selection committee was impressed enough to give it a No. 9 seed. While many 8-9 matchups can be toss-ups, the oddsmakers will likely make the Hokies the favorites in March Madness Basketball sports betting.
The winner of this game will get top-seeded Villanova in the second round, which will be a tough game. But at least getting to that point would be a nice accomplishment for these two programs.
Don't miss the hardwood action from PPG Paints Arena at 9:20 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Virginia Tech is 21-11 straight up and 17-11 against the spread on the season. The Hokies have played in three neutral court games on the season and have covered in one of them. Virginia Tech is 11-5 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
Alabama is 19-15 straight up and 18-15 against the spread. The Crimson Tide has covered in half of their eight neutral site game this season. Alabama has gone “under” the scoring total much more often than “over” which is something to keep in mind. The Crimson Tide is 10-8 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
Player To Watch
Collin Sexton —The Alabama freshman guard has burst onto the scene and is reason to believe Alabama would be able to pull off the upset. Sexton is averaging 19.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists on the season.
He is shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range. He has averaged more than 26 points per game in his past three games and has hit 10-of-19 shots from downtown in that span, so Sexton will be feeling good heading into the tournament.
Virginia Tech does not have the best defense so Sexton will aim to take advantage with a big showing.
Key Stat
Three. That’s the number of wins against ranked teams in the past eight games for Virginia Tech. So even though the Hokies have only won half of their games in that span, they have shown the ability to play with some of the best teams in the nation.
Virginia Tech started the run with a one-point win at No. 2 Virginia. The Cavaliers are one of the favorites to win all of March Madness, so it was a big-time upset. The Hokies followed that up by knocking off No. 15 Clemson and then beat No. 5 Duke by a point.
Virginia Tech has lost three of its past four games entering the tournament so it has been inconsistent, but the high-end ability is there, which is a good sign as the competition is fierce in March Madness.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Alabama also has its fair share of big wins this season so each team should be ready to roll. However, the Hokies are the better team, and since this game is a on a neutral court, neither team has the advantage of playing at home.
Take Virginia Tech to win this game as well as cover the spread in NCAA Basketball betting odds. The Hokies should advance for a tough game against Villanova in the second round of March Madness. Consider the “under” on the scoring total as Alabama will be able to slow the game down.
NCAA Odds: Virginia Tech 73, Alabama 68
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