The No. 19 West Virginia Mountaineers will travel to Cassell Coliseum to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. The game gets underway at 12:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 30 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Hokies lost to Saint Joseph’s 79-62 in their last game. Zach LeDay recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds, earning his seventh double-double of the year. The Mountaineers are coming off an 84-59 win over Eastern Kentucky in their last outing. Devin Williams played well for West Virginia, posting 15 points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
The aggressive Virginia Tech offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. It ranks ninth in the nation with a FTA rate of 48.7, while West Virginia is among the nation’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 346th-ranked FTA rate of 52.3).
Virginia Tech, an eight-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against West Virginia. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 145 points. The Hokies enter the game with records of 8-4 Straight Up (SU) and 2-3-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hokies are an exceptional shooting team from the line with 19.0 free throws made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Expect Virginia Tech to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Mountaineers, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 22.8 fouls per game.
On the other side, the Mountaineers head into the game with records of 5-3 ATS and 10-1 SU. The Mountaineers rank 15th in the country in scoring, averaging 85.7 points per game. The Mountaineers are a force on the offensive glass, grabbing a Division I-best 18.1 offensive rebounds per game. The Mountaineers are one of the top defensive teams on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 59.7 points allowed per away game. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Mountaineers, who are second in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 47 this season. They average 12.0 steals per game, good for tops in the nation.
Virginia Tech and West Virginia will be facing off in their first head-to-head contest of the season. When they last met the Mountaineers were winners, but Virginia Tech still leads the head-to-head record, 4-3 SU. Additionally, Virginia Tech leads the matchup ATS with a record of 6-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – WVU, ATS Winner – WVU, O/U – Under
Notes
Virginia Tech is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Virginia Tech is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing West Virginia.
West Virginia is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 85.7 points per game (ranked 15th). Virginia Tech, on the other hand, allows 67.5 points per game (ranked 108th).
West Virginia scores just 64.3 points per away game (ranked 261st). Virginia Tech ranks 69th in points allowed at home, giving up 61.2 points.
The West Virginia Mountaineers have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 83.7. The Virginia Tech Hokies have an offensive rating of 109.4 (ranked 107th).
The Virginia Tech Hokies average 72.2 possessions per game and 1.094 points per possession, while the West Virginia Mountaineers earn fewer possessions (72.2) but more points per possession (1.188).
The Virginia Tech Hokies average an effective field goal percentage of 49.8% this season. The West Virginia Mountaineers have a winning 4-1 record in games where opponents have an eFG% of 49.8% or greater.
This season, Virginia Tech has averaged 15.0 three pointers and West Virginia has averaged 19.0. When Virginia Tech and West Virginia attempt at least 20 three pointers, both teams are undefeated. The Virginia Tech Hokies are 2-0 and the West Virginia Mountaineers are 5-0.
West Virginia ranks 82nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.25. Virginia Tech is ranked lower at 220th with an A/TO of .97.
Virginia Tech is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 22nd. West Virginia ranks just 291st in defensive rebounds.
The Virginia Tech Hokies make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the West Virginia Mountaineers allow 5 or more steals, they are an outstanding 8-1.
