The Virginia Tech Hokies took a huge step toward wrapping up an NCAA Tournament berth by shocking No. 2 Virginia in overtime last time out. They would love nothing more than to knock off a college hoops giant once again next time out. Virginia Tech must hit the road again and this time will face off with the powerful Duke Blue Devils.
The Hokies were heavy underdogs against Virginia before pulling out a one-point win, and will once again be expected to fall in this one. Duke is one of the most talented teams in the country but will have to be close to perfect down the stretch in order to be in consideration for a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
Duke will be a substantial favorite to take care of business at home in this matchup.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Virginia Tech is 18-7 straight up and 13-8 against the spread. The Hokies have covered in five of their eight games on the road this season. Virginia Tech has covered in four of their attempts as the underdog, including not just the cover but an outright upset against Virginia that paid out really well on the moneyline.
Duke is 19-5 straight up and 13-10 against the spread. The Blue Devils have covered in six of their 11 attempts at home on the season. Duke is 12-9 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Injury Report
Duke star freshman Marvin Bagley didn’t play against Georgia Tech in the team’s most recent game because of a knee sprain. It has been termed as mild so it is possible he returns for this contest but that is definitely something to keep a close eye on as the game gets close.
Bagley is arguably the best player in the ACC already as a freshman. He is averaging 21.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 59.6 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three-point range.
Bagley is expected to be a top-three pick in the NBA draft after this season. Duke has plenty of talent elsewhere but Bagley has been the star all year long and it will certainly affect the spread if he cannot go in this one due to the knee injury.
Key Stat
5. That’s how many wins Virginia Tech has reeled off in its past six games, as it is playing better than at any other point on the season.
The Hokies began this streak with a win over No. 10 North Carolina and then followed that up with victories over Notre Dame and Boston College. Virginia Tech’s only blip during this run was a loss to Miami, but it bounced back in style with wins over North Carolina State and then the upset over No. 2 Virginia last time out.
Kerry Blackshear, Jr. had the key play in overtime against Virginia, scoring on a putback with 5.8 seconds remaining to life the Hokies to the unlikely win.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Virginia Tech is hot, going from a team on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament to one positioned to make it. The Hokies can score the ball and so can Duke, so this could be an entertaining matchup. If Bagley doesn’t play this one could remain close throughout, but either way look for Duke to come away with the victory.
If the oddsmakers set this line too high, don’t be afraid to choose the streaking Hokies to cover the spread. The scoring total could be rather high as the pace could be fast.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Duke 83, Virginia Tech 76
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