Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Prediction, Game Preview

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech prediction and game preview. The Cavaliers will look to bounce back from their nonconference loss to Villanova against a Hokies team that has won three out of their last four games.

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Game Preview

When: Wednesday, Feb. 1 – 8 p.m. ET
Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
TV Broadcast: ACC Network

Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers (16-4, 6-2 ACC) are coming off of a tough loss to Villanova, as Donte DiVincenzo beat the final horn on a tip-in of a Josh Hart miss to give the Wildcats a 61-59 win on Sunday. The loss snapped the Cavaliers’ five-game win streak. UVA had a 12-point lead with 10 minutes left before ‘Nova rallied for the home win.

Meanwhile, Buzz Williams and the Hokies (16-5, 5-4) bounced back from their loss to North Carolina with an 85-79 victory over Boston College in Blacksburg on Sunday. Seth Allen and Justin Bibbs each scored 18 points, as the duo combined to connect on 11-of-16 shooting, including six 3-pointers. VT almost squandered an 18-point lead but scored on seven of its final 10 possessions to put away the Eagles.

These teams split the season series in 2015-16. In the Hokies’ win in the first meeting, they had just eight turnovers. In the second meeting, however, Virginia Tech finished with just 16 field goals and 15 turnovers.

Virginia Wins If …

… The Cavaliers play as well as they played on Sunday, without the blown lead, of course. Bennett’s squad had control of the game in Philadelphia against the defending national champs, which was a strong follow-up effort following its win at Notre Dame. The Cavaliers displayed their patience and efficiency on offense, connecting on 25-of-50 field goals, and their defense helped slow down the Big East power for essentially the first 30 minutes.

Virginia held Notre Dame and Villanova to an average of 57.5 points in two road games last week, which is really impressive considering the Irish and Wildcats are two of the best offensive teams in the country. If UVA plays as well as it did the last two contests, it should take care of business at home against the in-state Hokies.

Virginia Tech Wins If …

… The Hokies get a strong game from scoring leader Zach LeDay, who is averaging 16.1 points per contest, while Seth Allen, Ahmed Hill and Justin Bibbs collectively are efficient from 3-point land. Virginia Tech is very familiar with the Cavaliers’ stingy defense, so efficiency on offense is crucial, especially from 3-point range.

Additionally, Tech cannot afford to turn the ball over. That area was a key contributor to the team’s loss to the Cavaliers in its second meeting last season.

Matchup To Watch

Ty Jerome vs. Virginia Tech zone defense

The Cavaliers have received strong play off of the bench in their past two games from freshman Ty Jerome, who had eight points against Notre Dame and a career-high 15 points against Villanova. His numbers before were not overwhelming, but he’s growing into a dependable backup point guard for Bennett.

Virginia Tech will test the freshman with its zone defense, which Williams has used a lot this season. So the Cavaliers’ outside shooting will certainly be tested against a team that puts pressure on opposing offenses.

Betting Odds

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