Duke vs Virginia Tech Odds and Picks

• #19 Duke is a 1.5-point road underdog versus #20 Virginia Tech on Tuesday (Jan. 12th, 7 pm EST)
• Duke has won three straight, but has yet to beat a team ranked inside the top-88 this season
• See below for analysis, odds and a betting prediction

ACC rivals will clash on Tuesday (Jan. 12th, 7 pm EST) when #19 Duke visits #20 Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils (5-2, 3-0 ACC) are perfect in conference play so far, while the Hokies’ (9-2, 3-1 ACC) lone ACC loss was to #16 Louisville earlier this month.

#19 Duke vs #20 Virginia Tech Odds

Odds taken Jan. 11th at FanDuel.

Oddsmakers are expecting a hard fought, tight game, as Virginia Tech opened up as a slim 1.5-point favorite. The Hokies are fresh off a 14-point win over Notre Dame, while Duke enters play riding a three-game winning streak.

Hurt-ing the Competition

The Blue Devils are coming off an 11-point win over Wake Forest, in a game dominated by leading scorer Matthew Hurt. The reigning ACC player of the week poured in a career-high 26 points, on 10-of-15 shooting, marking the sixth straight game he’s scored at least 17 points.

Matthew Hurt: super good this season

– post-ups: 1.46 points per possession, 68 FG%
– catch-and-shoot FGA: 62.5 eFG%
– overall: 60 2P%, 43 3P%
– per @totally_t_bomb: 70 FG% at the rim, 51 FG% midrange
– 23% usage, 62% true shooting

— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) January 11, 2021

Hurt, along with Freshman DJ Steward, are the only two healthy Duke players who average in double-figures (Jalen Johnson is sidelined with a foot injury), but the scoring depth behind them is quite balanced. Four other players average at least 5.6 points per game, and the team itself ranks second in the ACC in points for, made field goals, and three-point field goal percentage.

Tag someone who gets this excited about Duke dubs pic.twitter.com/rLwwfzJtw5

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 9, 2021

Yes, they’ve won three straight, but there are reasons for concern. They’ve yet to earn a resume building win, more on that later, and they’ve been underwhelming at the defensive end. They rank 12th in the conference in points allowed, and last in defensive rebounding. So far, they’ve been able to overcome those deficiencies in ACC play, but it’s definitely something to monitor as their schedule is about to get much tougher.

VT Eying Revenge

Virginia Tech lost both meetings last season to Duke by wide margins (14 and 23 points), but this version of the program has excelled versus tough competition. They’ve beaten a pair of top-12 teams (Villanova and Clemson) already and are fresh off an incredible defensive performance versus the Irish.

Made some history last night on the defensive end

We held Notre Dame to just two made field goals (!) in the second half, which is the fewest we've ever allowed in the ACC era (2004-present) 🔐#StoneByStone | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/gZ7BxcbnMG

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 11, 2021

They limited Notre Dame to just two second half made field goals, the fewest in team history since joining the ACC. Jalen Cone led the Hokies offensively, splashing 18 points off the bench, while leading scorer Keve Aluma added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

3-1 start in ACC play 🤟#StoneByStone | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/w6rTZvR3WW

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 11, 2021

Virginia Tech dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Irish by 17, while pulling down 16 offensive boards. That kind of effort crashing the glass could be the difference maker against Duke, as could the Hokies’ proficiency at getting to the line. No ACC team earns more trips to the charity stripe than VT, and only the Virginia Cavaliers have a higher offensive rating.

Roll with the Hokies

As mentioned earlier, the Blue Devils’ resume isn’t exactly glowing. They’ve yet to beat a team ranked inside the top-88, and dropped both games to top-45 programs. Their lone matchup versus a top-25 team ended with a 15-point home loss to Illinois, and they’re just 1-6 ATS this season.

We go into mid-January at No. 20 in the land 👊#StoneByStone | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/5a4IiaXo3J

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 11, 2021

The Hokies meanwhile, beat both #3 Villanova and #12 Clemson, the only team to taste victory against either school, and fell by just two points to #16 Louisville. They’re battled tested, more experienced, and capable of giving Duke’s offense fits, while abusing them on the glass.

Pick: Virginia Tech Hokies -1.5 (-108)