It will be a battle between ACC opponents when the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-7, 1-2 ACC) welcome the Virginia Tech Hokies (12-4, 1-2 ACC) to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The game gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.
Wake Forest opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 159 points.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons ATS Prediction
The Hokies will be looking for similar success after beating the Pittsburgh Panthers in their last game, 81-67. Virginia Tech’s 8.2 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Pittsburgh, who had a rate of 23.7. The Hokies’ mark was better than their season average of 16.6, while the Panthers’ was above their season average of 19.5. With 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting, Kerry Blackshear Jr. was the game’s high scorer.
The last time the Demon Deacons played, they were beaten by the Boston College Eagles, 77-71. One of Boston College’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They made 35 trips to the line, while Wake Forest went just 15 times. With 24 points on 8-for-24 shooting, Bryant Crawford was Wake Forest’s leading scorer.
Wake Forest does a solid job at getting to the charity stripe. They rank 46th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.285), but Virginia Tech is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the line (ranking 56th by allowing a FTA rate of 0.190).
Virginia Tech holds records of 12-4 straight up (SU) and 7-5 against the spread (ATS). Hokies games have a tendency to finish over the projected point total (63.6 percent).
Meanwhile, Wake Forest is 8-7 SU and 6-7 ATS. Contrary to Virginia Tech, games featuring the Demon Deacons have typically gone under the O/U total (69.2 percent).
After splitting two games last season, these teams will battle for the first time this year. The Hokies won the most recent game 99-90. The Hokies knocked down 27 of their 35 free throws (77.1 percent) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (34.3 vs. 29.7).
Virginia Tech Hokies at Wake Forest Demon Deacons ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Wake Forest, ATS Winner – Wake Forest, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Virginia Tech is 2-3 ATS on the road with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Wake Forest is 3-3 ATS at home with 3 overs and 3 unders.
Virginia Tech averages 17.7 assists per game, which ranks 18th in the nation. Wake Forest ranks 150th in assists allowed per game (14.1).
The Hokies average 21.5 three pointers per game, which ranks 146th in the nation. The Demon Deacons rank 196th in three pointers allowed per game (24.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Virginia Tech is 0-3 ATS with 2 unders and 1 over.
Wake Forest is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Hokies’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.2, down from 15.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Demon Deacons have scored an average of 71.4 points per game (5.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 75.2 points per game (2.7 above their season average).
