The Virginia Tech Hokies take on the Auburn Tigers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Virginia Tech Auburn prediction and pick. Find how to watch Virginia Tech Auburn.

The Virginia Tech Hokies have had an inconsistent start to their season. Virginia Tech lost to South Carolina, which could really hurt them in early March. However, Tech has also defeated Iowa State and Boise State, two results which could significantly boost the Hokies' profile when we approach Selection Sunday. The Hokies lost to Florida Atlantic, which represents a missed opportunity for a big win, but the Hokies have grabbed multiple quality wins to offset the South Carolina loss. Virginia Tech can shoot the ball. The real question for this team is its toughness in the paint and on the glass. Can the Hokies defend and rebound well enough to complement their offense and get enough stops in difficult, contentious games? Auburn figures to give the Hokies a severe test, so Tech needs to be at its rugged and resolute best in this game.

Auburn has not played nearly as tough a schedule as Virginia Tech. The Tigers defeated Notre Dame on a neutral floor earlier this month. That isn't much of a result. The Tigers are building toward their bigger battles. The one really strong opponent Auburn has faced so far this season is Baylor, and AU fell to the Bears. Beating Virginia Tech wouldn't necessarily be a high-end win for Auburn, but it's a game the Tigers can't afford to lose if they want to get a high NCAA Tournament seed in March of 2024.

Here are the Virginia Tech-Auburn College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Virginia Tech-Auburn Odds

Virginia Tech Hokies: +8.5 (-102)

Auburn Tigers: -8.5 (-120)

Over: 150.5 (-115)

Under: 150.5 (-105)

How To Watch Virginia Tech vs Auburn

Time: 9:15 pm ET / 6:15 pm PT

TV: ESPN2

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Virginia Tech Could Cover the Spread

The Hokies are battle-tested. Having just played Boise State, Iowa State, and Florida Atlantic in the past week, the Hokies have gone up not only against good teams, but teams with distinctly different playing styles. They also showed they could win those games, taking two of the three. Virginia Tech is competing well and is figuring out how to solve problems. Recent big battles against quality opposition should leave the Hokies prepared for Auburn, a team which — in contrast to Virginia Tech — hasn't played especially robust competition over the past week. Virginia Tech is in a good position to apply what it has recently learned and immediately carry it into this game against Auburn.

Why Auburn Could Cover the Spread

The Tigers haven't been supremely tested over the past week, and as we noted above, that could certainly translate into Virginia Tech's advantage. The Hokies could be the more tested team which is able to adapt and adjust on the fly. Their games against Boise State, Iowa State, and FAU could give the Hokies a chance to respond to in-game events more fluidly than Auburn. However, the other side of the argument is this: Virginia Tech really emptied the fuel tank in those three games over the past weekend. The Hokies played FAU (the third of their three games) on Sunday and are coming right back on Wednesday for a road game. That's probably too much basketball in a short period of time. Virginia Tech really needed this game to be on a Saturday and not a Wednesday.

Final Virginia Tech-Auburn Prediction & Pick

The inclination here is to pick Auburn due to Virginia Tech being tired, but you should probably avoid a pregame bet and should instead look for a live-betting angle.

Final Virginia Tech-Auburn Prediction & Pick: Auburn -8.5