North Carolina vs Virginia Tech Basketball Picks 2-17-24
Virginia Tech Hokies (14-10) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (19-6)
February 17, 2024 2:00 pm EDT
The Line: North Carolina Tar Heels -10.5; Over/Under: +152.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Virginia Tech Hokies and the North Carolina Tar Heels meet in college basketball action from the Smith Assembly Center on Saturday afternoon. Who comes out on top in ACC action from Chapel Hill? Let’s dive in and find out with our Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina Prediction.
Virginia Tech Team Preview
The Virginia Tech Hokies come into this one looking to build on an 83-75 win over Florida State last time out. Sean Pedulla leads the Hokies in scoring and assists with 15.8 PPG and 4.5 APG along with 4 RPG while Lynn Kidd has 13 PPG with a team-high 6.8 RPG to lead the Hokies on the glass this season. Hunter Cattoor has 14.5 PPG to cap off the scoring in double figures for Virginia Tech up to this point in the year. As a team, Virginia Tech is averaging 74.3 PPG on 46.3% shooting from the field, 36.5% from three and 79.5% from the foul line this season.
North Carolina Team Preview
The North Carolina Tar Heels come into this one looking to bounce back after an 86-79 loss to Syracuse last time out. RJ Davis leads the Tar Heels in scoring with 21.4 PPG along with 3.6 RPG and 3.5 APG while Armando Bacot has 14.2 PPG and a team-high 10.2 RPG to lead the Tar Heels on the glass, averaging a huge double-double per game. Harrison Ingram has 12.6 PPG with 8.8 RPG and Cormac Ryan has 10.6 PPG with 3 RPG to round out the scoring in double figures for UNC so far this season. As a team, North Carolina is averaging 82.3 PPG on 44.9% shooting from the field, 35.7% from three and 75.1% from the foul line this season.
Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina Prediction
I’m on North Carolina here. Virginia Tech has some of the best shooting percentages in conference play, and North Carolina will negate that with the best 3-point defense in the conference and the 2nd-best 2-point defense and I don’t see the Hokies breaking that down. North Carolina has a decisive edge in the paint and I think they do enough to snag the win and cover in this game.