1:02 pm
January 1

Notre Dame @ #10 Virginia Tech

Who will WIN this matchup?

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-3)

@ #10 Virginia Tech Hokies (11-1)

 

Current odds:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: (+475)

Virginia Tech Hokies: (-650)

 

• The line for this game is Virginia Tech by 10.5 points.

• Notre Dame and Virginia Tech kick off their ACC season on New Year’s Day as the Fighting Irish visit the 10th-ranked Hokies on Tuesday. Both teams are coming off wins following their holiday breaks, with Notre Dame edging Coppin State and the Hokies thumping Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Irish were trailing by nine with 9:53 remaining in the second half on Saturday but stepped up on the defensive end, forcing four turnovers while finishing the game on a 25-9 run.

• Virginia Tech wrapped up the non-conference schedule in style with an 85-40 win over the Hawks for its sixth win in a row. The victory broke a school record for consecutive non-conference wins at home with 24 and, at 11-1 this season, the Hokies are off to their best start in 100 years.

• Gibbs, the team’s leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, led the Fighting Irish with 15 against Coppin State, even though he shot just 4-of-16 from the field. Junior forward John Mooney added 14 points and eight rebounds, while freshman guard Dane Goodwin scored 13 in 34 minutes off the bench. Notre Dame shot just 33.9 percent in the game, including 28 percent in the second half, as its shooters were rusty following the nine-day holiday layoff.

• Graduate student Ahmed Hill dropped 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-9 from the 3-point line, as four Hokies starters hit double figures last time out. Virginia Tech shot 65.9 percent from the floor overall while connecting on 14-of-26 from behind the arc. The Hokies played without leading scorer Nickeil Alexander-Walker (18.5 points per game) as the sophomore guard is out with an ankle injury and his status for Tuesday is uncertain.

• Virginia Tech is holding opponents to 56.6 points per game on 39 percent shooting.

• Notre Dame is playing just its second true road game of the season, with the first being a 65-62 loss at UCLA on Dec. 8.

• Fighting Irish F Juwan Durham tied his career high with six blocks and is leading the ACC with 3.25 per game.

7/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#10 Virginia Tech Hokies
Previous Pick
Next Pick