The No. 20 Virginia Tech Hokies (+5,000 to win the national title) and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+50,000) are both coming off losses against the same opponent in the form of the No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers. Only one of them will avoid a two-game losing skid though this weekend, as they square off in an intriguing rematch in South Bend.
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Betting Preview for the Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Basketball Game on February 23, 2019
Where: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center, Notre Dame
When: Saturday, February 23, 2019, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Virginia Tech Hokies (odds) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Virginia Tech Hokies (20-6 Overall / 9-5 Conference)
If the Hokies are into moral victories, then they certainly had one last Monday, when they fell prey to the No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers, 64-58. The Hokies made Virginia sweat despite the fact that they were missing the team’s second-leading scorer in Justin Robinson, who hasn’t played in six straight games due to a foot injury. Still, the loss could be a considered as very big missed opportunity for the Hokies to notch a huge victory against a legitimate title contender. For one, their normally sure ways from deep didn’t show up. The Hokies are fourth in the nation with a 40.4 three-point shooting percentage, but went just 3-for-28 from deep, while allowing Virginia to get 11 buckets from deep on 27 attempts. The Hokies will look to recover their lethal form from distance against Notre Dame this weekend. In their 81-66 home win over the Fighting Irish on Jan. 1, the Hokies went bonkers from behind the arc, as they hit 11 triples on 18 attempts.
The Hokies are 2-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last four road games.
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-12 Overall / 3-9 Conference)
Speaking of moral victories, the Fighting Irish also had one last Saturday also against Virginia, which beat them in Charlottesville by only six points, 60-54. The Fighting Irish sort of gave Virginia a dose of its own medicine, as their defense held the Cavaliers down to only 36.5 percent shooting from the field. However, they also failed to solve Virginia’s defense. The Fighting Irish went just 34.5 percent from the field and their bench was barely felt with Nate Laszewski scoring all of the second unit’s nine points. The Hokies also have a stout defense, but the Fighting Irish should have an easier time having success against it than in the Virginia game. In the first meeting with Virginia Tech, the Fighting Irish shot 41.1 percent from the floor and went 13-for-34 from distance. Although they allowed 81 points, they recorded five blocks, with Juwan Durham accounting for four of those swats. Thanks in large part to Durham, the Fighting Irish are 15th in the nation with 5.5 blocks per game, but their perimeter defense still needs to improve, especially against the Hokies.
The under is 4-1 in Notre Dame’s last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia Tech wins, 71-65.
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