The Virginia Tech Hokies (14-10) travel to face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels (19-6) on Saturday, February 17th. This game will be played at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill and televised on ACCN. Virginia Tech is coming off a win in their previous game, while North Carolina is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Syracuse. Tip-off is set for 2:00 ET.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs North Carolina Tar Heels
The Virginia Tech Hokies Are Coming Off A Win
Virginia Tech comes into this game as an underdog, and they have gone 3-6 in their nine games as an underdog this season. On the road, the Hokies have gone just 1-7, and they have lost their last two games away from home.
For the season, Virginia Tech has gone 14-10, and their record in the Atlantic Coast Conference is 6-7. They are coming off a win over Florida State, and they have gone 1-2 in their last three road games.
Virginia Tech has an overall ATS record of 10-12-2 this season. On the road, their ATS mark is just 1-7. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Hokies are 3-7 vs. the spread.
Virginia Tech’s over/under record this season is 12-12 and today’s over/under line of 153.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (143.6). So far, 15 of their games have finished with less points than today’s line. Over their last three games, their over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 151 points.
The North Carolina Tar Heels Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
North Carolina enters this game as an 11.5-point favorite, and they have been the favorite in 23 of their 25 games this season. They have gone 18-5 in those games.
At home, the Tar Heels have been even better than their overall record, going 12-2. Over their last 10 games at home, they are 8-2.
North Carolina has an ATS record of 14-11 this season and they are 8-6 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Tar Heels have gone 5-5 vs. the spread and they have an ATS mark of 13-10 when favored this year.
North Carolina’s over/under record for the season is 13-12 and the average scoring total in their games is 153.4 points. Today’s over/under line of 153.5 is similar to the average OU line in their games this year (154.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 155 points and their OU record during this stretch is 2-1. So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line.
Virginia Tech Offense Breakdown
Virginia Tech’s offense is coming off a strong performance, scoring 83 points against Florida State. They had an overall field goal percentage of 40.7% and made 28/32 free throws. Currently leading the team in scoring is Sean Pedulla who comes into today’s matchup averaging 15.8. Hunter Cattoor also heads into the game with a PPG average of 14.5.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Pedulla (G) | 15.8 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Hunter Cattoor (G) | 14.5 | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Lynn Kidd (C) | 13.0 | 6.8 | 1.3 |
North Carolina Offense Breakdown
The Tar Heels’ offense wrapped up their last game with 79 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 82.3 points per contest. RJ Davis is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 21.4 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Armando Bacot brings a PPG average of 14.2 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Davis (G) | 21.4 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| Armando Bacot (F) | 14.2 | 10.2 | 1.6 |
| Harrison Ingram (F) | 12.6 | 8.8 | 2.3 |
Virginia Tech Team Defense
So far, the Hokies’ defense is ranked 107th in the country at 69.7 points per contest. So far, the Virginia Tech defense is giving up an average of 8.1 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.4 times per game (533rd).
North Carolina Team Defense
On defense, North Carolina is currently around the NCAA average in points allowed, giving up an average of 71.0 points per game. The North Carolina defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 86 points and allowed Syracuse to connect on 8 threes.
Hokies vs Tar Heels Trends
- Through their last ten road contests, the Hokies offense has averaged 70 points per game while allowing an average of 79. Virginia Tech posted an overall record of 1-9 while going 1-9 ATS.
- In their last ten games at home, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 74 points per game in these contests.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Hokies have a straight up record of 3-7. Their record vs the spread in these games was 3-7.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Tar Heels have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.
Hokies vs Tar Heels Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Tar Heels vs. Tar Heels game, our recommendation is to take the Tar Heels at -11.5. Despite our model showing the Tar Heels winning 75-69, we like Hokies as our point-spread pick.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 153.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 17, 2024 North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Tech Hokies