Yes, Notre Dame won its first-round game of the ACC tournament Tuesday but it was not the outing Irish fans were hoping for. Notre Dame allowed a Pitt team that went 0-18 in conference play to hang around and only edged the Panthers 67-64. With many doubting that Notre Dame has the ammo to steal an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, the Irish will need to continue their run through the ACC bracket with a victory over Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
- Virginia Tech is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games as underdog.
- Notre Dame is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games against Virginia Tech.
- Notre Dame is 4-0 ATS in its last 4 games after an ATS loss.
Notre Dame lost to Virginia Tech in their lone meeting this season but that was during a low point for Mike Brey’s team. Both Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell were out of the lineup due to injury, resulting in just seven Notre Dame players seeing minutes in that loss.
If the Irish want to move forward in the tourney, they need to shoot better than their abysmal performance against Pitt. The team shot just 34.0 percent from the field and 5-for-19 from beyond the arc – Notre Dame’s only saving grace was hitting 26 of 31 attempts from the charity stripe. Notre Dame can’t rely on that Wednesday, as Virginia Tech is 20th in the nation in fouls per game.
With victories over Virginia, Duke and Clemson, Virginia Tech has proven it can compete with any team. The Hokies own one of the most efficient offenses in the country with the program averaging 80.2 points per game while owning the seventh-best effective field-goal percentage. The defense can coast at times – something they might be able to do in this one – but has proven it can lock down when necessary.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
On the Sportsbook NCAA basketball betting line for this matchup, Virginia Tech sat as a 1-point underdog over at Sportsbook. Also, check out the current OVER/UNDER betting total for points scored, which often goes up first at online sportsbook Sportsbook
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Virginia Tech Hokies Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will look to cover the spread vs the Virginia Tech Hokies on Wednesday, as the Fighting Irish are 12-17 versus the spread this season, while the Hokies are 17-10 ATS. Notre Dame is 14-15 against the total, while Virginia Tech is 14-13 versus the total betting line.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Hokies rated this week at No. 253 and the Fighting Irish sitting at No. 108.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively, the game matches up Virginia Tech's No. 38 nationally ranked offense (80.19 points per game) against a Notre Dame defense that sits as the No. 56 at 68.19 PPG. The Hokies have been averaging 50.03% from the field, more than the Fighting Irish have managed so far this season (44.82% on average).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The Fighting Irish grabbed a 67-64 win over the Panthers on Tuesday, behind a 19-point effort from Bonzie Colson at Barclays Center.
Justin Robinson scored 18 points in a futile effort to lead the Hokies to a win (they lost 69-68 to Miami at Watsco Center on Saturday).
- Notre Dame is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
- Notre Dame is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Virginia Tech
- Virginia Tech is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Virginia Tech is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia Tech's last 5 games
- Virginia Tech is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Notre Dame
