It is a second round ACC tournament match up as Virginia faces Georgia Tech. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Virginia-Georgia Tech prediction and pick.
Virginia finished the regular season at 15-16 on the year, and 8-12 in conference play. That places them at the nine seed in the ACC tournament, which also gave them a bye in the first round of the tournament. They opened the year 3-0 before back-to-back losses. They would then win five of the next eight games before dropping five straight. Virginia would then win five of their next seven, including a Virginia win over Pitt, before ending the season by losing five of seven. Virginia ended the regular season against Syracuse. Syracuse dominated the game. They would lead by 17 at the end of the first half, and Virginia could not make the comeback, falling 84-70.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech was 16-15 on the year, and went 10-10 in conference play. That places them as the eight seed in the conference tournament, and also receiving a first round bye. They struggled to open the year, starting just 5-7 before three straight wins. They would then drop four in a row, but rebound to end the season strong. They would end the year by winning nine of their last 13 games. In their final regular season game, Georgia Tech faced Wake Forest. Georgia Tech would struggle in the first half, scoring just 15 points and being down by 19. They would go on to lose the game 69-43.
Virginia won the only meeting this year, winning the game 75-61. The winner of this game will play the top seed, Duke.
Here are the Virginia-Georgia Tech College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
ACC Tournament Odds: Virginia-Georgia Tech Odds
Virginia: +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -105
Georgia Tech: -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -113
Over: 130.5 (-110)
Under: 130.5 (-110)
How to Watch Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
TV: ESPN2
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Why Virginia Will Cover The Spread/Win
Virginia is ranked 103rd in KenPom's current rankings. They are 97th in adjusted offensive efficiency this year while sitting 142nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. Virginia has been solid defensively this year. They are 34th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 201st in opponent shooting efficiency. Further, they do not give up many shot attempts, sitting 32nd in opponent shot attempts per game. Virginia also does not send opponents to the free throw line, sitting 26th in the nation in opponent free throw attempts per game.
Isaac McKneely leads the way for Virginia this year. He comes in with 14 points per game while also having 2.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Meanwhile, Andrew Rohde leads the team in both assists and steals this year. He comes in with 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game to go with his 9.4 points and 2.8 rebounds.
In the frontcourt, Blake Buchanan leads the team in rebounding. He comes in with 5.4 rebounds per game to go with his 5.5 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. He is joined in the front court by Elijah Saunders, who is scoring 10.5 points per game and has 5.1 rebounds per game.
Why Georgia Tech Will Cover The Spread/Win
Georgia Tech is ranked 98th in KenPom's current rankings. They are 162nd in adjusted offensive efficiency this year while sitting 73rd in adjusted defensive efficiency. Georgia Tech has been solid on defense this year. While they are 184th in the nation in opponent points per game, they are 60th in opponent shooting efficiency this year. Further, they have been great against opponents inside the arc this year. They are 29th in the nation against the two this year.
Georgia Tech is led by Lance Terry. Terry is scoring 15 points per game while adding three rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is joined in the backcourt by Nathan George who leads the team with 6.5 assists per game. He is also scoring 12.4 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and one steal per game.
In the frontcourt, Baye Ndongo leads the way. He leads the team with 9.1 rebounds per game while scoring 13.6 points per game and adding 1.5 assists. Further, Duncan Powell is scoring 11.4 points per game while adding 5.5 rebounds this year.
Final Virginia-Georgia Tech Prediction & Pick
Both teams have been solid on defense this year, but Georgia Tech has been more efficient. Still, they do have one weak spot on their defense this year. Georgia Tech is 253rd in the nation against the three this year. While Virginia does not shoot a lot of threes, they are 26th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage. Further, Virginia is 113th in shooting efficiency this year, while Georgia Tech is 223rd. Finally, Virginia takes care of the ball well. They are 35th in the nation in turnovers while Georgia Tech is 229th. Take Virginia in this one.
Final Virginia-Georgia Tech Prediction & Pick: Virginia ML (-105)