St. Louis vs. Virginia Tech Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
NCAA Tournament first-round upsets featuring a No. 13 seed knocking off a No. 4 don’t happen nearly as often as a 12 over a 5, but they do happen: Last year, for example. No. 13 Saint Louis looks for the upset Friday night against No. 4 Virginia Tech in the East Region.
Saint Louis vs. Virginia Tech NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
This is scheduled to be the final game of the entire first round with a nearly 10 p.m. ET tip from San Jose on Friday night. The winner takes on either No. 5 Mississippi State or No. 12 Liberty on Sunday. To win the East Region, Saint Louis is +8100 and Virginia Tech is +1100. The Hokies are good enough to do it.
It’s the 10th NCAA Tournament appearance for Saint Louis and first since 2014 when it reached the second round. For third-year Saint Louis coach Travis Ford, it is his first NCAA appearance with the school and seventh overall. He took Eastern Kentucky once and his alma mater Oklahoma State five times.
Virginia Tech is in the Big Dance for the third straight year – that’s a program first – and 11th time overall. Coach Buzz Williams has done a fabulous job since arriving from Marquette. Tech was the ninth seed in the East Region in 2017 and the eighth seed in the East in 2018. The Hokies dropped their opener in both, to Alabama last year and Wisconsin in 2017.
These schools have played nine times overall, with Tech leading 7-1. The Billikens, though, won the last meeting 77-71 at Madison Square Garden in November 2017.
Saint Louis Billikens
Saint Louis was the preseason favourite to win the Atlantic 10 title but at one point lost four in a row and finished tied for sixth at 10-8. However, the Billikens won four games in four days in the conference tournament, knocking off St. Bonaventure 55-53 in the final. SLU was down as much as 15 in that game. Tramaine Isabell was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Ford has brought in a handful of transfers, led by former Michigan State player Javon Bess (Isabell transferred from Drexel). He leads the team in scoring (15.3 ppg) and is second in rebounding (6.7 rpg). It’s a good defensive team but not in 3-point shooting.
Virginia Tech Hokies
The big news for Tech is the return of point guard Justin Robinson, one of the best at his position in the ACC. He was announced as a starter on March 8 vs. Miami simply because it was Senior Night but hasn’t actually played since Jan. 30 due to a foot injury – 12 games. Tech went 7-5 without Robinson, with one of those wins a home upset of Duke (which didn’t have Zion Williamson). Robinson is the school’s all-time assists leader and averaging 13.7 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds this season. Tech also has one of the ACC’s best big men in Kerry Blackshear Jr., who averages 14.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has an NBA future. This is a Top 30 team nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
