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On Saturday, February 17, the North Carolina Tar Heels will host Virginia Tech. The Tar Heels are coming off a massive 86-79 loss over Syracuse on the road, and now, they’re 19-6 overall compared to Duke’s 19-5 record.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech is 14-10 overall and 1-6 on the road this season. Still, they won their last game against Florida State at home. Their only road win came on January 20 against NC State.
This marks the first matchup of Virginia Tech and the Tar Heels this season.
Let’s dig into this matchup more below.
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The Tar Heels dropped their most recent game while Virginia Tech secured the win, but the Hokies have struggled this season on the road.
The Tar Heels are nearly a double-digit favorite at home despite coming off a road loss to Syracuse.
Below are the odds in more detail, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
| Teams | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech Hokies | +9.5 (-102) | +400 | Over 153.5 (-115) |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | -9.5 (-120) | -550 | Under 153.5 (-105) |
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. Get $150 in bonus bets when you wager $5 on a winning bet.
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The Tar Heels and Blue Devils are in a dogfight for the No. 1 spot in the conference, as the Tar Heels are 19-6 compared to the Hokies 14-10 record.
Of course, the Hokies must also find a way to contend with Armanda Bacot.
At the same time, the Hokies have excellent three-point shooting with Hunter Cattoor (shooting 43.8% from beyond the arch) and Sean Pedulla (36.4% three-point percentage).
In fact, as a team, the Hokies are 45th in the nation at 36.5% despite being 108th in the country, attempting just 23.4 per game. Still, they’ll contend with a Tar Heels defense that allows teams to only shoot 30.4% from beyond the arch, which is 31st in the nation.
According to KenPom, the Tar Heels allow 94.2 points per 100 possessions, while the Hokies are at 101.5.
Bacot will be an issue for any opponent, as he averages 14.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The Hokies are 292nd in the nation, averaging 32.7 rebounds per game.
The Tar Heels are undoubtedly the better team in this matchup.
While UNC is the better team here, the Hokies present an exciting matchup with their three-point prowess.
With Bacot down low, this could allow the Hokies to live and die by the three-point shot more. If they can maintain that percentage while increasing their attempts and overcoming the Tar Heel's three-point shooting defense, that could give them a chance to hang around.
The Hokies are 1-6 on the road for a reason, so we’re not picking them to win, but they could keep this a single-digit margin of victory.
UNC vs. Virginia Tech Pick: Virginia Tech +9.5 (-102) at FanDuel Sportsbook
When: Saturday, Feb. 17 @ 2:00 PM ET
Where: Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+
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After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard Janvrin has been covering iGaming and sports betting since December 2018. Richard has covered betting at Bleacher Report, Gambling.com, The Game Day, Forbes, and more.
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