Virginia Tech vs NC State Odds & Prediction: Why to Bet Hokies

The ACC race is heating up, and we've got a battle between two teams trending in opposite directions.

Virginia Tech heads to Raleigh as losers of four of five, desperately needing a win.

Meanwhile, North Carolina State is in second place in the league and off to a 5-1 conference start.

This should be a competitive affair between two pretty evenly-matched teams, and the spread suggests that, as it just opened right around.

Let's discuss where the betting value lies in a matchup with NCAA Tournament implications — both squads are firmly on the bubble.

After a solid non-conference campaign, Virginia Tech has again started slow in conference play.

A poor January cost the Hokies a trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and Tech needs to turn things around immediately if it wants to avoid another NIT bid.

I still believe in this team because of veteran guards Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor. Both protect the ball and shoot the lights out.

Lynn Kidd has made a nice jump on the inside for Mike Young, both from a rebounding and interior scoring standpoint.

Unfortunately, Virginia Tech still can't get that key stop, and the Hokies lack a dynamic playmaker off the dribble.

NC State's defense has surrendered plenty of open looks from deep, so Pedulla and company should penetrate the gaps of the defense and create some clean looks from the perimeter.

Knocking those down will go a long way in deciding how efficient of an afternoon it will be in Raleigh.

NC State does not have the strongest predictive metrics on either side of the floor, which could point to a rough patch in the coming weeks.

But for now, you have to give Kevin Keatts' team a lot of credit for the winning it has done.

The four losses are all to top 25 teams, with some quality victories over Wake Forest and Virginia.

DJ Burns continues to be the go-to option for NCSU, and you'd be hard-pressed to find many bigs in America with a more diverse arsenal of tricks with their back to the basket.

Casey Morsell is a veteran wing who is rock solid on the defensive end and can knock down open shots from the 3-point line.

The Pack needs to do a better job on the glass, as they rank outside the top 100 in Ken Pom's offensive and defensive rebounding rankings.

Guys like Kidd and Tyler Nickell will attack the glass for VT, so holding the Hokies to one shot per trip could go a long way in deciding the outcome of this contest.

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This is a prime buy-low spot for the Hokies, who should enter this road tilt with maximum urgency to secure a victory.

Cattoor should be back in full health after getting banged up last week and not quite being a full go against Virginia.

The Hokies possess the better offense, and while Burns should get his on the inside for the Pack, I have much more trust in the VT backcourt.

I expect Virginia Tech to win this game outright, so I will gladly back Mike Young's team as a short underdog in a must-win spot.

Pick: Virginia Tech +3.5

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