Duke heads to Blacksburg on Saturday afternoon to face Virginia Tech, fresh off a statement 83-52 win over Louisville and sitting at 19-1 overall and 8-0 in ACC play. Virginia Tech returns to Cassell Coliseum at 15-6 and 4-4 ACC, where the Hokies have been excellent this season. Duke is a double-digit favorite on the road here. Can they avoid being put on upset alert? Continue reading to get my Duke vs Virginia Tech prediction in college basketball.
Our Duke vs Virginia Tech Pick
Pick: Virginia Tech +11.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Duke Blue Devils @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Date & Time: Saturday, January 31, 5:00 PM ET
Venue: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, VA
Broadcast: ESPN
Key Storylines
Duke form: Duke is 19-1 overall and 8-0 in the ACC, coming off an 83-52 rout of Louisville that showcased suffocating defense and control of the boards. The Blue Devils have won three straight games by over 20 points and they will try to put together another dominant performance here.
Virginia Tech form: The Hokies are 15-6 overall and 4-4 in the ACC. They dropped an 85-71 decision at Louisville but bounced back with a 71-65 win over Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech is 12-1 at home so far this season and they will need every ounce of their home-court advantage to stay competitive against an elite Duke team.
Headliners: Duke freshman Cameron Boozer is averaging 23.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, leading Duke in points, boards, and dimes. For Virginia Tech, Amani Hansberry supplies 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, with guard Neoklis Avdalas at 4.9 assists and Ben Hammond at 1.9 steals. Duke certainly has the edge when it comes to their top-end talent, but if the role players on Virginia Tech can stand up to Duke's, this could be a competitive basketball game.
Injury notes to monitor: Virginia Tech center Solomon Davis and guard Brett Freeman were listed out earlier in the week. Their status should be checked closer to tip.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
Duke is 33-10 all-time against Virginia Tech.
The Blue Devils have won three straight games against Virginia Tech.
Duke is 12-8 against the spread going into this matchup.
Virginia Tech has a 12-10 record against the spread this year.
The under is 13-7 in Duke's games this season.
Virginia Tech is 11-11 in the over/under market this season.
Duke vs Virginia Tech Model Projection
Score Projection: Duke 78 – Virginia Tech 70
Win Probability: Duke 70%, Virginia Tech 30%
Final Thoughts
Duke is a better basketball team than Virginia Tech, and the Blue Devils should come away with the win when the final buzzer sounds in this contest. But I'm going to take the points with the Virginia Tech Hokies on their home floor, as they should make life difficult on the young core of the Blue Devils and make this a single-digit game by the time things wrap up in Blacksburg.
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