Virginia Tech vs Florida Odds and Picks
- The Virginia Tech Hokies (15-6, 9-4 ACC) play the Florida Gators (14-9, 9-7 SEC) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday (12:15pm ET)
- Both teams exited their conference tournaments early but did enough in the regular season to get into the dance
- See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below
The first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament will tip-off Friday afternoon at the Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana when the Virginia Tech Hokies meet the Florida Gators.
The schools haven’t played since December 29, 1991 when the Hokies smoked the Gators 79-57. This time around Florida is favored by one point.
Virginia Tech vs Florida Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech Hokies | +1 (-112) | -105 | O 137.5 (-110) |
| Florida Gators | -1 (-109) | -114 | U 137.5 (-110) |
Odds as of March 16th at DraftKings
Virginia Tech was taken out in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament 81-73 by North Carolina in their most-recent game.
The Gators were eliminated in the SEC Tournament by the Tennessee Volunteers 78-66 in their latest action. It was their second loss to the Volunteers in the same week.
Virginia Tech Won’t Go Down Easy
It’s easy to forget about the Virginia Tech Hokies as there are so many top-flight teams in the ACC. They ended up finishing third in the conference ahead of teams like Georgia Tech, Clemson, North Carolina and Syracuse.
Even though they were beaten their last time out by North Carolina, they gave the Tar Heels all they could handle until the final buzzer.
The Heels are heatin' up! @UNC_Basketball takes down third-seeded Virginia Tech, 81-73! 🔥👀
Highlights brought to you by @GEICO #ACCTourney pic.twitter.com/521cTAQ1fz
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) March 12, 2021
Virginia Tech plays a slow, methodical brand of basketball which can be tough to watch for fans that prefer run and gun teams. They average 66.2 possessions per 40 minutes (adjusted for opponent) which ranks them 293rd in the nation.
The style is the exact opposite of North Carolina who likes to get up and down the floor quickly. The Hokies actually took a 35-32 lead into halftime and appeared to be the better team for most of the game. The game came down to rebounding where Virginia Tech lost the battle 41-30, 14 of which were offensive. Those rebounds led to 17 second chance points which ultimately cost the Hokies the game.
Florida is Battle-Tested
Of Florida’s nine losses, only three of them were to teams that did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They seemed to face every type of adversity a team could face this year between Covid-19 cancelations and their star player, Keyontae Johnson, being lost for the season. Still, they won a game in the SEC Tournament before bowing out to the Tennessee Volunteers 78-66 on Friday.
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 12, 2021
On January 19th the Gators absolutely throttled the Volunteers 75-49 in Gainesville. Tennessee was able to get their revenge on March 7th with a 65-54 win but that win couldn’t have felt better than the one on Friday which put Florida out of the SEC Tournament. The Volunteers were the better team on the floor for the entire 40 minutes in the third meeting. They jumped out to a 31-22 halftime lead and never looked back as the final score was closer than the actual game.
Best Betting Angle
This one will come down to pace and rebounding. Florida isn’t exactly a team that pushes the pace but they don’t sit on the ball either. At 68.7 possessions per 40 minutes (adjusted for opponent), the rank 165 in the country in pace which is not fast. Virginia Tech obviously will play slow which is where rebounding comes into play.
Since January 12th, every game where the Hokies won the rebounding battle went under 137.5 points. It makes sense given the fact that the Hokies take the air out of the ball. One thing Florida does not do well is rebound as they rank 135th in the country. Comparatively, Virginia Tech comes in at 67th in rebounding rate. As a result, the Hokies can control the pace of this game by winning the rebounding battle. If that was the case, this game would have to go to overtime to go over this number.
The pick: Under 137.5 (-110)
John has spent the past 20+ years betting sports on a daily basis and is considered by many to be a walking sports betting encyclopedia. From obscure player props to sides and totals, if there is an angle, John will find it.
