Duke vs. Virginia Tech Picks, Predictions, Odds

We all knew that Jon Scheyer's first year in charge of Duke would be full of some growing pains. Not only were the Blue Devils moving on from the great Mike Krzyzewski, but they were going into the season with a heavy reliance on freshmen. They are in position to make the NCAA Tournament once more, but expectations are higher than that in Durham.

Duke is expected to contend for the ACC title every year, and the Cameron Crazies are counting on the Blue Devils to go on the road and knock off the Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday night.

The Duke Blue Devils will go on the road to face the Virginia Tech Hokies on Monday, January 23, 2023. This game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN from Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Prediction

Virginia Tech needs to turn things around in a hurry if the Hokies plan on making it to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament. After going 10-1 in non-conference play with wins over Penn State, Oklahoma State, and Dayton, the Hokies have lost seven straight ACC games. Five of those seven losses were by five points or less, but head coach Mike Young is in danger of losing this team if they can't break their losing streak very soon. Duke should be able to extend Virginia Tech's misery though as the Blue Devils can take advantage of a team that doesn't get to the line often.

Score Prediction: Duke 74, Virginia Tech 67
Best Bet: Duke +1.5

Updated on 11/15/2024

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Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Odds

Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Resources

Date: Monday, Jan. 23, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Cassell Coliseum
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Matchup
Expert Picks

ACC Championship Odds

Duke Blue Devils vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Stats

Duke Blue Devils
SU: 14-5
ATS: 7-12
O/U: 7-12
PPG: 72.0
OPPG: 63.5

Virginia Tech Hokies
SU: 11-8
ATS: 6-13
O/U: 9-10
PPG: 72.6
OPPG: 65.6

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Duke Blue Devils Betting Analysis

Jon Scheyer's first team is heavily loaded with freshmen, and most of those promising four- and five-star prospects have been underwhelming. The lone exception has been 7'0 center Kyle Filipowski. He leads the Blue Devils with 15.0 PPG and 9.5 RPG, and he has been one of the best players in the country when it comes to winning battles on the glass. Filipowski hasn't been as efficient as most big men are from the floor, but Duke is relying on him to be its No. 1 scoring option a little too often for a team that signed four five-star prospects in the Class of 2022.

Dariq Whitehead was the No. 2 overall recruit in the country according to 247 Sports, but he has not lived up to the hype. Whitehead is averaging just 8.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG as a 6'7 forward, and he is making just 36.9% of his field goals. Center Dereck Lively was the No. 3 overall recruit in the nation, but he has been relegated to a bench role as he is averaging 4.0 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 16.1 MPG.

That has led to the Blue Devils relying on junior Jeremy Roach and senior Ryan Young more than expected. Roach is the second-leading scorer on Duke, averaging 12.0 PPG, but he is making just 32.3% of his threes. Young doesn't have great mobility, but he is an old school big man that is averaging 7.9 PPG and 6.7 RPG.

Duke is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the nation with Mark Mitchell being the only player that is making over 40% of his triples. However, Duke is excellent on the offensive glass due to their size, and Virginia Tech struggles down low against teams with big bodies.

Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Analysis

Wright State transfer Grant Basile has been used on the perimeter more than he was at his former program. Basile has been asked to help stretch the floor as a 6'9 wing, and he is averaging 13.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG while knocking down 49% of his field goals and 38.5% of his threes. He may play closer to the basket given Duke's size advantage in the frontcourt, as Virginia Tech's leading rebounder is 6'7 Justyn Mutts.

Mutts is having a nice season as an undersized forward, averaging 13.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 4.2 APG. He is one of the few players that leads his team in rebounds and assists nationally, and he is making 57% of his field goals and 40% of his threes.

Sean Pedulla is the leading scorer on Virginia Tech. Pedulla is averaging 15.9 PPG, but he isn't very efficient, as he is making just 41.8% of his field goals and 31.9% of his threes. The good thing about Pedulla is that he doesn't turn the ball over often, and that helps the Hokies rank 12th nationally in turnover percentage on offense. Unfortunately, he is one of just three playmakers on this team, and the Hokies are a bit too flawed to take down Duke. They have been exposed since entering conference play, and those struggles will continue here.