Saturday, February 18, 2017

KFC Yum! Center

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The Virginia Tech Hokies travel to KFC Yum! Center to play the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, February 18, 2017. The opening line for this game has Louisville as 13.5 point favorites.

The Hokies come into this game with an overall record of 18-7 and a road record of 3-5. They are 11-10 against the spread and their over/under record is 10-10. The Cardinals have an overall record of 21-5 and a home record of 13-1. They have an over/under record of 10-14 and they are 16-7 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Zach LeDay comes into this contest averaging 15.3 points per game while playing 29.3 minutes per night so far this season for the Hokies. He pulls down 6.9 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.3 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 52% while his free throw percentage is currently at 76%. Ahmed Hill averages 12.6 points per game in 30 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.2 assists per contest and 3.4 rebounds per game for Virginia Tech. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 75%.

Donovan Mitchell averages 15.2 points per game while playing 31.2 minutes per contest this year for the Cardinals. He grabs 4.7 rebounds per game and has 2.7 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 41% and his free throw percentage currently is at 80%. Quentin Snider averages 12.2 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31 minutes per contest. He also averages 2.7 rebounds per contest and 4.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 37% and his free throw percentage is 73%.

Virginia Tech averages 78.7 points per contest this season which ranks them 50th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 5.6 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team which has them ranked 24th. Behind the arc they shoot 38% which is good for 49th in the country. They average 33.9 rebounds per game and 15.1 assists per game which ranks them 253rd and 69th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 93rd with 12.3 per game. The Hokies allow 73.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 189th in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 170th and 158th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 35.4 rebounds a game which ranks 173rd and they give up 13.8 assists per contest which puts them in 210th place in the country. They force 12.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 239th in Division 1.

Louisville averages 77.2 points per game this year which ranks them 71st in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 14 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 128th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 141st in the nation. They average 40.3 rebounds per game and 13.6 assists per contest which ranks them 12th and 148th respectively. In the turnover department the Cardinals rank 23rd with 11.2 per game. The Cardinals allow 63.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 17th in the country. They also allow a 39% shooting percentage and a 28% average from behind the arc ranking them 9th and 1st in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.3 rebounds a game which ranks 122nd and they give up 10.5 assists per contest which puts them in 13th place in the nation. The Cardinals force 14.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 69th in college basketball.

The Hokies average 71.6 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 71.3 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of -4.7 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is -0.3 per contest. The Hokies have an offensive rating of 109.9 and they assist on 55.8% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 70.8 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 55%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 59% and they shoot 3 pointers on 39% of their shots. Virginia Tech turns the ball over an average of 15.7 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 5.9% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 48.9% while their offensive rebound percentage is 23.8%. The Hokies give up 76.4 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 71.7 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Cardinals score 80.6 ppg at home and they have averaged 67.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -2.3 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 18.5 points per game. The Cardinals have a rating on offense of 110.9 and 49.4% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 68.9 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 51%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempt 3 pointers on 32% of their shots. Louisville turns it over an average of 13.6 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 10.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 54% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 36.5%. The Cardinals give up 62.1 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 69.7 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Virginia Tech Hokies Betting Trends

The Virginia Tech Hokies are 11-10 against the spread

The Virginia Tech Hokies are 10-10 against the over/under

Louisville Cardinals Betting Trends

The Louisville Cardinals are 16-7 against the spread

The Louisville Cardinals are 10-14 against the over/under

Virginia Tech Hokies Injuries

12/10/16 C Johnny Hamilton Thumb out for season
11/11/16 F Kerry Blackshear Jr. Shin out for season
02/14/17 G Chris Clarke ACL out for season

Louisville Cardinals Injuries

01/25/17 G Tony Hicks Hand out indefinitely

Guy's Pick: Take Louisville -13.5

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