ACC foes will clash when the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-7, 1-2 ACC) meet the Virginia Tech Hokies (12-4, 1-2 ACC) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 159 points with Wake Forest opening as a 1.5-point favorite. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 10, 2018.
Virginia Tech Hokies at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
The Hokies defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers in their last outing, 81-67. Kerry Blackshear Jr. was the top scorer from either team with 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting. The Hokies had a fantastically low turnover percentage of 8.2 (better than their season average of 16.6), while the Panthers had a free throw rate of 0.229 (below their season average of 0.262).
The last time the Demon Deacons played, they were topped by the Boston College Eagles, 77-71. Bryant Crawford was Wake Forest’s high scorer with 24 points on 8-for-24 shooting. Boston College did a great job of converting from the free throw line (26-35; 74.3 percent). Wake Forest, meanwhile, held the Eagles to an offensive rebounding percentage of 14.6 (below their season average of 33.6).
A focal point for the Wake Forest offense is getting to the free throw line. The Demon Deacons rank 46th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.285), but Virginia Tech is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 56th by yielding a FTA rate of 0.190).
In terms of the O/U total, these teams are complete opposites. Games featuring Virginia Tech have gone over 63.6 percent of the time, while Wake Forest games have gone under 69.2 percent of the time. The Hokies have the significant advantage straight up (SU) (12-4 vs. 8-7) and a slight edge against the spread (ATS) (7-5 vs. 6-7).
This is the first time these teams will go head-to-head this year, after splitting two games last season. In the most recent contest, the Hokies won 99-90. The Hokies played a perfect game. They had a fantastic free throw rate of 0.450 and a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 34.3. For those same stats, the Demon Deacons put up marks of 0.277 and 29.7, respectively.
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Wake Forest, ATS Winner – Wake Forest, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Virginia Tech is 2-3 ATS on the road, while Wake Forest is 3-3 ATS at home.
- The total has gone over in 3 of the Demon Deacons’ 6 home games, while 3 of the Hokies’ 5 road games have gone over.
- Virginia Tech ranks 18th in assists per game (17.7) while Wake Forest ranks 150th in assists allowed per game (14.1).
- The Hokies average 21.5 three pointers per game, which ranks 146th in the nation. The Demon Deacons rank 196th in three pointers allowed per game (24.3).
Betting Trends:
- Wake Forest is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Virginia Tech is 0-3 ATS with 2 unders and 1 over.
- The Demon Deacons have been outscored by an average of 3.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Wake Forest has defeated opponents by an average of 4.6 points.
- During their last five games, the Hokies have scored an average of 65.6 points per game (20.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.4 points per game (5.0 below their season average).
