Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3 ACC) travels to Durham to take on Duke (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday, November 23rd. This game kicks off at 8:00 PM ET and can be seen live on ACC Network.
Virginia Tech is listed as a 3-point favorite in the contest with a 47.5-point over/under.
The Hokies are on the ropes after losing two consecutive games where they held second-half leads and blew several chances against Syracuse and Clemson. The elusive sixth win is still within reach for Va Tech to unlock bowl eligibility.
Duke is looking to put the finishing touches on a great season where Manny Diaz and his staff have significantly outperformed expectations in year one. Both teams come into this one off of a bye week.
Read more for my Virginia Tech vs. Duke predictions and college football picks.
Virginia Tech vs Duke Prediction
- Virginia Tech vs Duke Pick: 1H Under 23.5
My Virginia Tech vs Duke best bet is on the first half total, with the best line currently available at Caesars, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Virginia Tech vs Duke Odds
| VA Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | -160 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 47 -110o / -110u | +135 |
- Virginia Tech vs Duke Point Spread: Virginia Tech -3 (-110) · Duke +3 (-110)
- Virginia Tech vs Duke Total: Over/Under 47 (-110o / -110u)
- Virginia Tech vs Duke Moneyline: Virginia Tech -160 · Duke +135
Virginia Tech vs Duke Preview
Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Preview: Reinforcements Coming
Virginia Tech has experienced an up-and-down 5-5 season where the Hokies have looked excellent for long stretches but lost some legitimate heartbreakers, including the last two defeats against Syracuse and Clemson.
They've been dealing with injuries at key positions, including quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten.
Both of these players were limited in practice and have been dealing with nagging injuries most of the second half of the season but are scheduled to be available this week.
This would certainly provide a much-needed boost to Va Tech's offense that has struggled for much of the season.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview: Exceeding Expectations
Duke rebounded nicely last week off of back-to-back losses against SMU and Miami the previous two games.
Duke has exceeded all pre-season expectations and the staff has really seemed to get the most out of this group.
The Blue Devils offense, at times, has lacked the punch and firepower needed to blow teams out, but the defense has been lights out most of the season.
It will be interesting to see how Duke plays this one with rival Wake Forest on deck and a good majority of their season goals already accomplished.
Virginia Tech vs Duke
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Virginia Tech and Duke match up statistically:
Virginia Tech Offense vs. Duke Defense
 | Offense | Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 80 | 58 | |
| Line Yards | 78 | 31 | |
| Pass Success | 95 | 13 | |
| Havoc | 111 | 2 | |
| Finishing Drives | 33 | 19 | |
| Quality Drives | 114 | 32 | |
Duke Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 130 | 73 | |
| Line Yards | 130 | 57 | |
| Pass Success | 71 | 34 | |
| Havoc | 53 | 37 | |
| Finishing Drives | 102 | 8 | |
| Quality Drives | 129 | 34 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 8 | 84 |
| PFF Coverage | 96 | 9 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 37 | 89 |
| Middle 8 | 36 | 72 |
| Seconds per Play | 26.9 (61) | 25.3 (31) |
| Rush Rate | 58% (40) | 47% (103) |
Virginia Tech vs Duke Pick & Prediction
I am going to take a first half under in this one, which is currently listed at 23.5.
VT has been struggling in the passing game most of the season, as all three quarterbacks that have played are completing just 60% of their passes while averaging 185 yards per game.
The game plan has been run-heavy much of the season for the Hokies and getting Tuten back will further provoke running the ball. Duke remains excellent at limiting explosive plays, ranking 19th nationally in Defensive Explosives allowed. The Blue Devils are also 21st nationally in Defensive EPA Per Play and ranked number one nationally in Defensive Pass Play Explosiveness allowed.
Virginia Tech has struggled this year in achieving early down explosives and has been in third down a lot this year while only converting 37% of those attempts. The Duke defense has locked in on third down while only allowing 30% conversions this season. We should see moderate success from the Hokies on the ground, but chunk plays should be limited.
Offensively, Duke has been running tempo this year, but it has not been as effective as you would expect. The offensive output in the ground game has been unimpressive all season, as the Blue Devils are averaging just 100 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Virginia Tech can be run on a bit, but the Duke ground attack is limited on how explosive it can be.
Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy completes a high rate of passes (70%), but the downfield passing game is limited as Duke ranks just 99th nationally in Pass Play Explosiveness. The Hokies are only allowing 206 passing yards per game and are 16th nationally in Defensive Havoc.
The Virginia Tech front seven has registered 31 sacks and 64 tackles for loss this year and has also forced 17 turnovers on the season. Murphy will have to get rid of the ball quickly and use the short passing game to have success here against this Hokie front.
Both of these teams have exceptional red zone defenses and middling red zone offenses. Duke has allowed touchdowns on just 16/33 red zone trips and Va Tech touchdowns on 21 of 38 trips. Each of these offenses has a path to working the ball into the red zone, but the defenses should likely rise once again and force field goal attempts.
Both of these teams tend to have slower starts. Duke games have only surpassed this first-half total once in the last six contests. Virginia Tech has seen lower-scoring first halves in four of their last five games. The trend is that these two teams play conservative field position games in the first half before opening things up and taking more risks as the game ages. I would expect that trend to continue in a run-heavy first half this week.
Pick: 1H Under 23.5
Virginia Tech vs Duke Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 23 |
| Kickoff Time: | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | ACC Network |
Virginia Tech vs Duke will be played at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on ACC Network.
Virginia Tech vs Duke Betting Trends
Virginia Tech vs Duke Weather
