Virginia Tech vs. Texas Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
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Nik Kowalski
Virginia Tech turned a 11-9 conference record into an ACC Tournament title, and the Longhorns blew a 20-point lead in their Big 12 quarterfinal matchup.
At face value, Texas should advance, but some have this game as a pick’em. The Longhorns currently stand as 1-point favourites to win, with the total pegged at 123.5 on the NCAAB odds. Tip-off at Fiserv Forum goes at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Virginia Tech vs. Texas NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Texas backers didn’t have a great season either, as the Longhorns finished the season 12-9-1 against the spread. The Longhorns also failed to cover in their last six games. The Hokies went 5-2 ATS in their last seven outings with the under hitting in eight of their last 12.
At 123.5, the total for Friday afternoon is the lowest of the day by a fair amount. Each squad possesses a stingy defence with the Longhorns allowing less than 60 points a contest this season — the best in the Big 12 and one of the best in the country. The Hokies allow just over 60 points a game and held North Carolina to 59 points and Duke to 67 in ACC Tournament wins.
Virginia Tech Hokies (11)
Forward Justyn Mutts is a stat-sheet stuffer for the Hokies — the senior led Virginia Tech in rebounds (7.4), assists (3.4), steals (1.2), and blocks (1.0) per game while also averaging over 10 points. Senior forward Keve Aluma was the main source of offence for Virginia Tech, with a team-high 15.8 points per game and at least 18 in their four ACC Tournament games.
The Hokies shot just under 40 per cent from 3-point range this year, finishing third in the country. Junior guard Hunter Cattoor is their most dangerous shooter with 82 made 3’s on 196 attempts, but their entire starting five can knock down shots from beyond the arc which is a weapon come March.
Texas Longhorns (6)
Texas’ entire starting five is made up of seniors, three of which are transfers and didn’t partake in the Longhorns’ First Round loss as a No. 3 seed a year ago. Forward Timmy Allen is one of those transfers and led the team in both points (12.3) and rebounds (6.5) but was a 17-point-per-game player during his last two seasons at Utah.
Guard Andrew Jones is in his sixth season with Texas but is 0-3 in March Madness as the Longhorns have lost five straight tournament games dating back to 2014. Jones finished third on the club with 10.7 points per game and is also the team’s best free throw shooter.
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