Tar Heels Have Dropped Three Straight
The No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels try to snap a three-game losing streak when they face the host Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC opener for both teams on Sunday. North Carolina fell to Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday after dropping its final two games of the Phil Knight Invitational last weekend. Virginia Tech has won two straight, including a home victory over Minnesota on Monday. This should be a good matchup with both teams hungry to get a conference victory, so to help with your betting online, check out our in-depth preview of the game.
Let’s check the latest college basketball odds, stats, injury reports, and college basketball lines for North Carolina vs Virginia Tech. We’ve plenty of NCAA basketball odds for you to consider.
North Carolina Looks To Get More Easy Baskets
North Carolina Tar Heels has a lot of experience back from last season’s run to the national title game, but that hasn’t helped the team find its offensive groove. The Tar Heels are having to work hard to generate offense in the halfcourt, which has made it difficult for the team to pick up some wins recently.
“The physicality of other teams and how they’re guarding ball screens, they’re blitzing us a lot,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said when talking about his team’s struggles. “Our guards aren’t able to penetrate and get down hill. It’s taken us off of our spots, it’s taken us off of our movement and our spacing.”
Senior forward Armando Bacot has been solid, though he will need to step up his game to help the Tar Heels in conference play. Bacot is averaging 16.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 54.5% from the floor.
Guard Caleb Love is leading the Tar Heels in both scoring (19.1 points) and assists per game (3.1), though he’s shooting just 40.6% from the floor, including 25% from 3-point range. Love had just 13 points and one assist in the loss to Indiana on Wednesday.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Virginia Tech Winning with Defense
The Virginia Tech Hokies have been strong on the defensive end of the floor this season, ranking fourth in the ACC in allowing just 64.3 points per game. Part of that has been the team’s efficiency on the offensive end, as they are second in the conference in turnovers committed per game with just 8.9.
That defense was on display in Monday’s win over Minnesota, as the Hokies held the Golden Gophers to just 36.7% shooting from the floor, including 26.1% from 3-point range.
Guard Sean Pedula has been leading the way for the Hokies, pacing the team in both scoring and assists with 17.1 points and 4.0 assists per game, respectively. The sophomore has made a major jump from his freshman campaign, when he averaged just 5.4 points per game.
Forward Justyn Mutts will need to be a presence in the paint in this one, as he leads the Hokies with 9.0 rebounds per game to go with his 12.6 points per contest. With Bacot and other Tar Heels known to hit the offensive glass, Mutts will have to be able to stay in the game and make things difficult for the North Carolina front line.
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Injuries
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Head-To-Head
The North Carolina Tar Heels have a major edge in their all-time series with the Virginia Tech Hokies, winning 72 of the 88 all-time matchups. The Hokies did win the last meeting between the conference rivals, beating the Tar Heels in the ACC Tournament last March, 72-59.
Virginia Tech has a 22-8 record at home against North Carolina, though it lost last season’s contest in Blacksburg, Va., 65-57. Looking at the college basketball lines for Sunday’s renewal of the rivalry, North Carolina is favored to get a little revenge for the last meeting with a win.
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Game Information
- Game: North Carolina (5-3, 0-0 ACC) vs Virginia Tech (7-1, 0-0 ACC)
- Location: Cassell Coliseum
- Day/Time: Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET
- North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Live Stream: TBS.com
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Betting Lines
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Prediction
The North Carolina Tar Heels have been having some trouble getting wins of late, but we like the former No. 1 team to bounce back. The Virginia Tech Hokies don’t have enough offense to stay with the Tar Heels in this one.
When making your college basketball picks, take North Carolina to win and cover.
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Trends
North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Edge
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North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Game Summary
