Texas vs Virginia Tech Prediction: Back the Longhorns on the Moneyline

Texas vs Virginia Tech Prediction: Back the Longhorns on the Moneyline

Texas and Virginia Tech square off in the first round on Friday afternoon in what should be an intriguing stylistic matchup. The books have this one almost dead even, with Texas currently sitting around -115 on the money line on most books. Who can take this one and move on to the second round to face Purdue or Yale?

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Texas vs Virginia Tech Prediction

Virginia Tech really hit their stride in the second half of the year. After starting only 10-10 on the year and 2-7 in conference play, they ended 19-12 and finished 11-9 in conference play. Then, they went on to win the ACC tournament, upsetting Duke in the championship in a 15-point blowout. Keve Aluma has been nothing short of a gamechanger for the Hokies, and the center averages 15.8 points per game while shooting 58% down low. The Hokies have a well-balanced offense but excel from the perimeter, shooting 39.3% (3rd in the nation).

Texas trended in the opposite direction of Virginia Tech this year. Texas started strong and was 7-4 in maybe the hardest conference in college basketball this year, but went 3-4 to end the regular season over a tough schedule. They also lost in the first round of the Big 12 tournament to a tough TCU team. I'm not knocking this Texas team at all, though. They managed to pull out some big wins over top teams in one of the most challenging conferences in college basketball while also finishing top 15 in defensive efficiency. This team plays tough, and they play very tight defense, ranking 14th in turnover rate on defense.

The addition of Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr in the offseason elevated this team tremendously, as the two are now the team's leading scorers. Even though this is not one of the best shooting teams, they take care of the ball, crash the boards, and play physical on both offense and defense. The fundamentals of this team are impressive, but for a team coached by Chris Beard, it's not surprising. Chris Beard has tournament experience, making the big dance in four of his five years at Texas Tech, the only miss being his first season. Texas as a team also has experience, as all five starters are seniors.

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This game will come down to defense. Both teams play at one of the slowest teams in the nation and prefer a slower style of play. That being said, Texas has the advantage here. They have the more significant wins on the year and have shown they can slow down even some of the best offenses in the nation. Virginia Tech played well in conference, but the ACC wasn't its usual self this year and was underwhelming. Texas forces more turnovers and plays the more physical style of game. Chris Beard is known for coaching some incredible defenses, and I don't think Virginia Tech will have enough success in the frontcourt to knock off Texas. Take the better defense in this one and back Texas.

Texas vs Virginia Tech Line Movement

Texas vs Virginia Tech

• Pick: Texas ML @ -115 (Bet $115 to win $100)