The Texas Longhorns will battle the Virginia Tech Hokies in a sizzling first-round matchup on Friday. It will be an East bracket showdown between the sixth seed and the 11th seed. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Virginia Tech-Texas prediction and pick.

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These are two evenly matched teams on paper. Virginia Tech (23-12, 11-9 ACC) is on fire right now, as they have gone 13-2 over their last 15 games. That includes victories over Notre Dame, the University of North Carolina (UNC), and Duke. They rolled into the NCAA Tournament when it looked hopeless a few months ago. The Hokies were 10-10 after their first 20 games.  They even endured a horrid stretch in January where they went 2-6 in ACC play. The Hokies won the ACC Tournament, becoming the lowest seed to ever win it. They polished off their hot streak with a 72-59 drubbing of the UNC Tar Heels on Friday night.

This is their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. This is the longest streak of NCAA appearances the Hokies have had. Their biggest highlight was in 2019 when they reached the Sweet 16.

Texas (21-11, 10-8 in the Big 12) stumbled into the NCAA tournament, losing its last three games. That included a 65-60 loss to TCU in the Big 12 quarterfinals last week. They blew a 20-point lead and were could not regain their footing after a hot start. Their new head coach Chris Beard has plenty of experience with the NCAA tournament. This is the fifth time he has led a team to the tournament. The biggest highlight came in 2019 when he took Texas Tech to the title game. Now, he hopes to erase the recent trail of first-round exits that have befallen the Longhorns.

While this is their fifth appearance since 2015, they have not made it out of the first round, going 0-4 in their four opportunities. That included a 53-52 first-round loss to Abilene Christian last year. They have made 20 NCAA tournament appearances in their last 23 opportunities.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Virginia Tech-Texas odds:

March Madness Odds: Virginia Tech-Texas Odds

Virginia Tech: +1 (-110)

Texas: +1 (-110)

Over: 123 (-110)

Under:  123 (-110)

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Why Virginia Tech Could Cover The Spread

Virginia Tech has the tools to win this game and the players to lead them to victory. Keve Aluma is their star, averaging 15.9 points per game on 6.5 rebounds. Aluma was the key player in the win over Duke as he scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and generated seven assists. In addition to Aluma, Justyn Mutts and Hunter Cattoor have provided an excellent spark that has propelled Virginia Tech during its recent wave of success. Mutts is averaging 10.1 points per game and leading the team with 7.4 rebounds per game.

Cattoor has shined during pivotal moments, especially from the 3-point line. In the win over Florida State, Cattoor shot a blazing 9 for 11 from beyond the arc. In addition to that, he torched Duke for 31 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the triples. His work from the 3-point line cannot be understated and is a big reason why the Hokies are here.

There is also recent history on the side of Virginia Tech. There has been at least one win by a number 11 seed every season since 2015. In 2017, there were three victories by 11th seeded teams. Despite the seeding, Virginia Tech has the talent and firepower to match with Texas.

Why Texas Could Cover The Spread

Texas has struggled mightily over the past few weeks and it has created doubt about whether they can finally get over the hump. Despite that, they still have the players and the experienced head coach to thrive. Consequently, it all starts with defense. Texas is one of only six teams to hold opponents to under 60 points per game. Beard implemented a system that has taken this squad and propelled them to a top 20 finish in defensive efficiency. That starts with Timmy Allen, who is averaging at least one block a game. Allen is also their scoring leader as he has put up 12.3 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds per game. At six-foot-six, Allen can control the game on offense, and bring down the house on defense.

The Longhorns also have had success over good teams this season. They beat Kansas this season, and also own victories over Tennessee. They are battle-tested and have waited for this moment all season.

Final Virginia Tech-Texas Prediction & Pick

History almost always repeats itself. In this case, a red-hot Virginia Tech has all the similarities to past 11th seeds and is ready to make a case for itself. Texas is trying to overcome a recent history of failure and has a coach that has experienced success with other teams. But this is still a Texas team that went cold down the stretch, and Virginia Tech is firing on all cylinders. Expect that to continue, and expect Virginia Tech to take this game.

Final Virginia Tech-Texas Prediction & Pick: Virginia Tech +1 (-110)