The Virginia Tech Hokies take on the SMU Mustangs in Dallas, Texas. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
SMU is favored by 6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -315. The total is set at 158 points.
Here’s my Virginia Tech vs. SMU predictions and college basketball picks for January 14, 2026.
Virginia Tech vs SMU Prediction
My Pick: Virginia Tech +6.5
My Virginia Tech vs SMU best bet is on the Hokies to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Virginia Tech vs. SMU Odds
| Virginia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 158 -110o / -110u | +255 |
| SMU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 158 -110o / -110u | -315 |
- Virginia Tech vs SMU spread: SMU -6.5
- Virginia Tech vs SMU over/under: 158 points
- Virginia Tech vs SMU moneyline: Virginia Tech +255, SMU -315
Virginia Tech vs SMU College Basketball Betting Preview
Virginia Tech Basketball
The Hokies are firmly in the mix for an NCAA Tournament appearance, as they've gotten off to a 13-4 start to the season. A triple-overtime home win over rival Virginia on New Year’s Eve has been the highlight of the season.
Virginia Tech is 1-2 since then, losing by three on the road to Wake Forest and blowing a 12-point lead late at home against Stanford, falling in the final moments on Ebuka Okorie’s game-winner. Mike Young’s squad bounced back on Saturday, holding off Cal, 78-75 victory.
The Hokies have dealt with injuries throughout the season and are likely without starter Tyler Johnson for this one as well. Tobi Lawal returned to the lineup two games ago, which has been a massive boost. The senior forward is one of the best athletes in the country and is indispensable for this team on the glass.
The 6-foot-9 freshman point guard Neoklis Avdalas has been the main story for this group. He’s been a bit up-and-down this season, shooting just 33% from 3-point range, but as a jumbo playmaker, he’s a ridiculous talent who causes constant problems for opposing defenses.
Avdalas is averaging 14.5 points and 5.0 assists per game on the season.
Veteran big man Amani Hansberry is a prototypical Mike Young big who can shoot from the outside, score in the paint and facilitate the offense. He’s averaging 16.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season.
Virginia Tech ranks 66th on KenPom, with the 76th-ranked offense and the 65th-ranked defense. The Hokies have been excellent at taking care of the basketball, sitting 26th nationally in turnover rate. They’ve also guarded the 3-point line well, holding opponents to 29.3% shooting from deep.
Their biggest weakness has been struggles on the defensive glass, where they rank outside the top 250 nationally. However, Lawal's return significantly helps patch that issue.
SMU Basketball
SMU is a formidable team in Andy Enfield’s second season at the helm. The Mustangs sit 32nd on KenPom and boast the 14th-best offense in the country.
SMU put the nation on notice with a 97-83 home victory over North Carolina on January 3, but it struggled on a difficult road trip this past week. The Mustangs fell 74-70 at Clemson and 82-75 at Duke, two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the ACC.
The performance against Duke becomes even more impressive considering the team was without star point guard Boopie Miller, who missed the game due to an illness that spread throughout the roster.
Miller should be good to go for this one, providing a massive boost. The senior is averaging 20.6 points per game and ranks seventh nationally with 7.1 assists per contest.
Miller, alongside Jaron Pierre Jr. and B.J. Edwards, forms one of the best backcourt trios in the country. Pierre is averaging 17.4 points per game, while Edwards adds 13.9 points and 5.4 assists.
The ability of those three guards to push tempo, get touches on the paint and create offense at all three levels makes SMU extremely difficult to defend.
The Mustangs are anchored by 7-foot-2 Turkish big man Samet Yigitoglu, who's averaging 10.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.
Freshman Jaden Toombs started his first game of the season in Miller’s place against Duke and poured in a career-high 23 points.
Defense has been the weakness for this SMU group. The Mustangs rank 74th nationally in defensive efficiency on KenPom, and through the first three ACC games, they check in as the fourth-worst defensive team in the league.
Virginia Tech vs. SMU Betting Analysis
Schedule-wise, this sets up nicely for SMU, which is due for a win after facing two of the best teams in the league on the road and should be fully healthy after dealing with an illness spreading through the locker room.
With SMU’s offensive firepower, the Mustangs will be very difficult to beat at home all season. This is also the fifth-most experienced roster in the country, and with their number of playmakers, it’s hard to completely bottle up this attack.
However, this Virginia Tech unit is better defensively than the metrics suggest. The Hokies do a good job of containing dribble penetration and forcing contested 3-point attempts. With Lawal back in the lineup, they're also less vulnerable on the defensive glass.
Young’s team shares the ball well, and with Avdalas and Hansberry offering unique skill sets at their size, Virginia Tech should be able to generate quality looks against an SMU defense that's struggled to consistently get stops.
I don’t see a large gap between these two teams. I’ll take the points with the Hokies, who I believe have a strong chance to keep this one close throughout.
My Pick: Virginia Tech +6.5
