Virginia Tech vs Miami Odds, Picks: Fade the Canes?

Virginia Tech vs Miami Odds

Tuesday, Jan. 31

7 p.m. ET

ESPNU

Virginia Tech Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
+3.5 -102	141.5 -114o / -106u	+146

Miami Odds
Spread	Total	Moneyline
-3.5 -120	141.5 -114o / -106u	-178

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute college basketball odds here.

Two of the best offensive teams in the ACC will face off on Tuesday night in Coral Gables, Fla., when the Miami Hurricanes host the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Just like a year ago, Virginia Tech has gotten off to a slow start to conference play and has been on the wrong end of a lot of close games. The Hokies rallied last season, ultimately winning the ACC Tournament and getting into the Big Dance.

If the last two outings are any indicator, there's reason to believe VT can once again have a strong February and play its way back into the tournament picture.

Tech beat Duke in a tight one, and then dominated Syracuse from start to finish on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Miami heads home after a three-game road trip. The Canes finished 1-2 in that stretch, narrowly losing to both Duke and Pittsburgh.

The Pitt game in particular was one that the Hurricanes really let slip away.

Jim Larranaga's team will be in bounceback mode, which has been a friendly place for it all year. Miami has yet to drop two games in a row at any point this season.

Will that trend continue, or can Virginia Tech move its winning streak to three? Let's discuss.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Hunter Cattoor's elbow injury was a big part of the reason why Virginia Tech went on a seven-game skid in January.

The veteran sharpshooter is back healthy, and his presence has certainly been felt in the last two wins.

Cattoor hit five threes against Duke and followed that up with six in the Syracuse game.

In addition to his shooting prowess, the senior gives the Hokies a leadership presence on the floor, and he is always in the right spot defensively.

Wright State transfer Grant Basile continues to give VT some scoring and defense on the inside, and very few bigs are more seasoned than Justyn Mutts.

Virginia Tech is not an elite defensive team due to overall personnel, but has the potential to be a very efficient offensive unit. The passing and ball movement has been on full display over the last week.

Miami can really score it, so that same level of efficiency will be needed to outpace the Hurricanes in this one.

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Miami Hurricanes

A main reason why Miami hasn't lost consecutive games all season? You'd be hard-pressed to find many backcourts in America better than the duo of Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack.

Both are experienced, and can each score it at all three levels. It took Pack a bit of time to sync with Larranaga's offensive style coming over from Kansas State, but he has been really efficient in recent weeks.

Sophomore Norchad Omier gives the Hurricanes an athletic forward who can do a little bit of everything on both ends.

The weakness of this Miami group lies on the defensive end. The Canes still rank outside the top 100 in adjDE, which is cause for concern against a Virginia Tech team that has shooters galore.

Miami also gives up a high percentage of offensive rebounds, which is another area that could make it vulnerable against a pretty athletic Hokie team.

If the Hurricanes want to make another deep run come March, they must commit to the defensive end.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami Betting Pick

Both offenses have the advantage in this matchup, so I certainly would not be against a play on the over in this one. That said, with a relatively high total of 144, I think the safer bet is on Virginia Tech.

Mike Young's team understands it has to be close to perfect the rest of the way as a result of the seven-game losing streak, so I think you'll see another focused effort from the Hokies in this one.

Virginia Tech has looked like a different team in its last two outings, and should be able to continue that level of offensive efficiency against a mediocre Miami defense.

Miami's home court advantage is one of the least intimidating in the ACC, and Virginia Tech has been a pretty good road team in recent years.

I think the Hokies have a great chance of winning this game outright, so I will gladly back Tech catching the points.

Pick: Virginia Tech +3 or Better

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