The ACC is proving to be the dominant college basketball conference this season, with no less than 5 teams currently occupying a spot in the top 25. Whether that many teams remain in that spot when March Madness rolls around remains to be seen, as things are about to get cutthroat in there now that conference play is under way. This coming Saturday sees #20 ranked Notre Dame go on the road to play a strong Virginia Tech Hokies team that has fallen off the pace just a little since getting into ACC action. Notre Dame have an unblemished record in their 4 conference games so far, and this is sure to be another big test for them. A loss in this one might be enough to send the Irish tumbling out of the top 25, so you can be sure that they will be doing all they can to maintain, or perhaps even improve upon their current standing.
Analyzing The College Basketball Betting Lines: Fighting Irish At Hokies
When: Saturday, January 14 at 2 PM EST
Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg
TV: ACC Network
NCAAB Odds: TBA
Why bet on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
As I mentioned earlier, the Fighting Irish have made a great start to conference playing, going 4-0 so fa, taking their overall record to an impressive 15-2. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have yet to lose to unranked opposition this year, with both losses coming back to back against teams in the top 25. They have only played a pair of road games to this point, winning both, and going 1-0-1 ATS in those games. This is a team that is playing some balanced basketball this season by getting the job done at both ends of the court. They should be able to take advantage of a Hokies team that has not been particularly good in their own end.
Why bet on the Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies are just 2-2 in conference play, and were blown put in back to back games versus NC State and Florida State. This is a team that has had problems on the defensive end of the court, and those deficiencies had a spotlight shined on them in those two losses, where they gave up a combined 197 points. They seemed to get things back under control in their last outing, an 83-73 win over Syracuse, but they have to be aware that Notre Dame are a team that can put some points on the board. On the plus side, the Hokies are a perfect 10-0 on home court this season, and are 4-2 ATS in lined games at home. They make it tough on visitors in that building, and they will be looking to maintain that perfect record.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Make no mistake about it, this is not going to be a walk in the park for the Fighting Irish. The big difference between these two teams is the level of defensive play. The Irish have the edge by a good margin there, and it is what will get them through this one.
