The No. 11-seed Virginia Tech Hokies (19-13) face the No. 6-seed NC State Wolfpack (22-9) in the second round of the ACC Tournament! Action tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with a Virginia Tech-NC State prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Virginia Tech enters tonight fresh off a tight win over Notre Dame as they went 8-12 and finished in 11th place in the ACC. The Hokies covered 41% of their games while 58% went over the projected point total. NC State earned a first-round bye after finishing 12-8 and in sixth place in the ACC. The Wolfpack covered 52% of their games while 52% went 52% went over. This will be the second meeting of the season between the conference foes. NC State took the first matchup 73-69 on the road.
Here are the Virginia Tech-NC State college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Virginia Tech-NC State Odds
Virginia Tech: +2.5 (-110)
NC State: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 145.5 (-115)
Under: 145.5 (-105)
How To Watch Virginia Tech vs. NC State
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Virginia Tech Could Cover The Spread
Virginia Tech had an up-and-down regular season although they do ride a three-game winning streak into tonight's matchup. The Hokies went 11-1 in non-conference play and picked up notable wins over Dayton, Oklahoma State, and Penn State. While they lost a tight one to Charleston, the Hokies had high hopes entering ACC play. After winning its opener over UNC, Virginia Tech lost its next seven conference affairs. While they managed upset wins over Duke and Virginia, the Hokies otherwise had a disappointing season. Entering today, Virginia Tech slotted in at No. 77 in KenPom and No. 70 in NET. As a result, the Hokies' only hope of making the NCAA Tournament is by winning the ACC tournament.
Virginia Tech is led by senior Grant Brasile. The 6'9″ forward paces the team in scoring with 16.6 PPG while also chipping in 5.4 RPG. He remains their best interior defender as well thanks to his 1.2 blocks per game. A graduate transfer from Wright State, Basile has tons of basketball experience and has already shown his affinity for big games. In their tight first-round win over Notre Dame, Basile scored a team-high 20 points on an efficient 7/11 shooting. While NC State did hold him to four points on 13% shooting in their prior meeting, Basile should bounce back considering he already has his feet wet in Greensborough.
For as good as Basile has been, sophomore Sean Pedulla is the key behind the Virginia Tech offense. The 6'1″ guard isn't very physically imposing but he is a dangerous outside shooter. For the season, Pedulla averages 15.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 3.8 APG. Pedulla averages 2.0 threes per game while shooting 35% from deep but is notably an 86% free-throw shooter. The sophomore was the star of the show in their earlier meeting with NC State when he scored 19 points and dished out four assists.
Why NC State Could Cover The Spread
NC State played a light non-conference slate that saw them finish 10-1 but with notable wins over just Dayton, Butler, and Forman. The Wolfpack's lone non-conference loss came at the hands of Kansas in a tight affair. They had an up-and-down ACC slate that was highlighted by an 8-1 stretch that saw them take down Duke, Miami, and Wake Forest. While they did drop back-to-back games to end their regular season, the Wolfpack still sits at a respectable No. 52 in KenPom and No. 41 in NET. Because of that, NC State projects as a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
NC State is led by a pair of standout guards. Sophomore Terquavion Smith averages 17.3 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.5 steals per game to lead the Wolfpack. A 6'4″ point guard, Smith has an NBA body and the scoring potential to boot He put up a monster performance in their earlier win over the Hokies when he scored 22 points and swiped three steals. Although he struggled somewhat down the stretch, look for him to turn it around with the NCAA Tournament approaching.
Senior Jarkel Joiner is right there with Smith, averaging 17.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Like his running mate, Joiner had a strong performance the last time these teams met when he scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Joiner has really come on strong to close out the season and averaged 25 PPG across his last four appearances.
Final Virginia Tech-NC State Prediction & Pick
Virginia Tech has been far too inconsistent to trust them with such a tight spread. NC State already defeated the Hokies once this season on the road, too. Add in that NC State needs to win to ensure they make the NCAA Tournament and this is an easy Wolfpack pick.
Final Virginia Tech-NC State Prediction & Pick: NC State -2.5 (-110)
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