For the first time since 2012, the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles will lock horns on the field this coming Monday. Also, it would be the first game of the Seminoles post the Jimbo Fisher era as they begin life under a new head coach in Willie Taggart. Will the Hokies spoil Taggart’s debut? Or will the Seminoles go up 1-0 in the standings after this game?
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Betting Preview for the Virginia Tech Hokies vs Florida State Seminoles Week 1 College Football Game on Sept. 3 2018
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
When: Monday, September 3, 2018, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Virginia Tech Hokies (+7.5) vs Florida State Seminoles (-7.5) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies ended their 2017 season with a 9-4 record and a sorry loss to Oklahoma State in the Camping World Bowl, but hope is big for Virginia Tech this season because of the sizable returning talent. There are 12 starter from last season that have made their way back to the program, seven on offense and five on defense.
Head coach Justin Fuente must feel good that among the returnees is quarterback Josh Jackson, whose familiarity with his system is a big plus for the team. Last year, Jackson threw for 2,991 yards and 20 touchdowns as a freshman. More mature and more experienced, Jackson will be greatly relied upon by Fuente.
Speaking of reliability, the Hokies’ defense remains sturdy despite offseason losses, with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, defensive tackle Tim Settle, and safety Terrell Edmunds now in the NFL. Ricky Walker is a fantastic substitute for Settle, while some nice recruits should help keep the defensive line tough to penetrate. Last year, the Hokies were fifth in the nation with just 16.0 points allowed per game.
Virginia Tech is 3-3 ATS in its last six road games. Dating back to 2008, the Hokies are 3-1 ATS in their last four meetings with the Seminoles.
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles
The Noles are coming off a highly disappointing season in which they finished with just a 7-6 record. That season didn’t start well for them either as they got handily beaten right out of the gate by Alabama. Florida State regained its footing late in the season by stitching together four-straight wins to end the year, but it was still far from meeting the lofty expectations set for the Seminoles prior to that season.
The good news for them is that starting quarterback Deondre Francois and running back Cam Akers are both back in the fold. Francois was forced to miss a big chunk of last season because of a knee injury, but with him still in Tallahassee, Florida State’s confidence in their offense should still be high. Akers, on the other hand, paced the team a year ago with 1,025 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 194 carries. The team’s offensive line will have to show that it has improved, though, after allowing 32.0 sacks last year – second most in the ACC – and 36.0 in 2016.
Defensively, Florida State lost three starting linebackers, but the stop unit will have four starters who have returned to help the team continue the amazing job it did on that end of the field last year. In 2017, Florida State allowed just 22.5 points and 342.7 total yards per game.
Florida State is 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia Tech, 24-20.
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