The No. 9 Virginia Tech Hokies (14-2, 3-1 ACC) look to continue their 10-game home winning streak in a matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-8, 1-3 ACC) at Cassell Coliseum. The game starts at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 19, 2019, and will air on ACC Network.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Prediction
In the Demon Deacons’ last matchup, they topped the No. 17 North Carolina State Wolfpack, 71-67. Wake Forest was successful at getting and making free throws. The Demon Deacons made 23 of their 28 free throws (82.1 percent), while the Wolfpack were just 7-9 (77.8 percent). With 16 points on 4-for-9 shooting, Jaylen Hoard was Wake Forest’s leading scorer.
The Hokies got blown out by the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers in their last contest, 81-59. Virginia’s 38.1 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over Virginia Tech, who had a mark of 24.0. The Cavaliers’ mark was above their season average of 30.7, while the Hokies’ was below their season average of 32.4. With 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting, Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Virginia Tech in scoring.
The high-powered offense of Virginia Tech (fifth in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 119.9) will clash against the bottom-tier defense of Wake Forest (286th in the country with a defensive efficiency of 107.0). The Hokies figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball. Additionally, the Demon Deacons, who rank sixth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.324), will face a tough test against the Hokies, who rank fifth in opponents’ FTA rate (0.148).
After the Hokies won the sole game against the Demon Deacons last season, 83-75, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Hokies knocked down 13 of their 16 free throws (81.3 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.614 vs. 0.507).
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Virginia Tech Hokies ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Virginia Tech, ATS Winner – Wake Forest, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Virginia Tech ranks 21st in assists per game (16.8) while Wake Forest ranks 210th (10.9).
The Hokies rank 88th in three pointers attempted per game (24.4) while the Demon Deacons rank 230th (19.4).
Virginia Tech ranks eighth in steals allowed per game (4.6) while Wake Forest ranks 107th (6.6).
The Hokies rank sixth in rebounds allowed per game (28.9) while the Demon Deacons rank 61st (33.0).
Bettings Trends:
The Demon Deacons’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.0, up from 0.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hokies have scored an average of 70.8 points per game (7.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 60.4 points per game (1.6 above their season average).
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