A defensive battle can be expected from the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (11-17) and Virginia Tech Hokies (15-13) when two of the Atlantic Coast’s top scoring defenses battle it out at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Action gets underway at 6:30 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Demon Deacons are hoping to rebound after their 69-58 loss to Notre Dame on Wednesday. John Collins finished with 16 points to lead the team. The Hokies, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-56 win against Boston College on Tuesday. Seth Allen led the team in scoring with 14 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Hokies winning the first matchup 93-91. Justin Bibbs had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 32 points, two rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three three-pointers.
The Demon Deacons come into this game 11-17 Straight Up (SU) and 10-15-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been better ATS (7-3) than SU (3-7) over their last 10 games. The Demon Deacons will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Wake Forest has only averaged 67.7 points per game compared to the 74.2 they’ve averaged on the season. The Wake Forest defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 72.5 points per game, well under their season average of 79.1.
Across the court, Virginia Tech has a SU record of 15-13 and an ATS record of 13-8-1. Virginia Tech is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, hitting 18.0 shots from the line per game. The Hokies average 71.8 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 78.9 points per game during that span.
Following the Hokies’ latest win over Wake Forest, their SU record rises to 6-4 over Wake Forest in their most recent games. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. Wake Forest had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) one time over the last five matchups. Virginia Tech has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wake, ATS Winner – Wake
Notes
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons average 71.4 possessions per game and 1.039 points per possession, while the Virginia Tech Hokies earn fewer possessions (69.9) but more points per possession (1.052).
Wake Forest has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.4%. Virginia Tech is an underachieving 5-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons attempt 19.0 three point field goals per game and the Virginia Tech Hokies attempt 16.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Wake Forest is an even 7-7, while Virginia Tech has a poor record of 2-4.
Wake Forest, the 88th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.0 rebounds per game. Virginia Tech does worse, ranked 215th with 35.5.
The Virginia Tech Hokies average 5.5 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have a losing record (9-16) this season.
