The seventh-seeded Florida Gators look to win their eighth straight Round of 64 game when they take on the 10th-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies in 2021 NCAA Tournament action on Friday. The Hokies (15-6), who finished third in the ACC at 9-4, have lost in the first round in two of their past three appearances. The Gators (14-9), who placed fifth in the SEC at 9-7, are the last team to win consecutive national titles when they went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Virginia Tech is 8-11 in NCAA Tournament play all-time.
Tip-off from Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 5-4, last meeting in 1991 when the Hokies posted a 79-51 victory. The game is a pick 'em in the latest Virginia Tech vs. Florida odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 135. Before making any Virginia Tech vs. Florida picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Florida vs. Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Virginia Tech vs. Florida:
- Virginia Tech vs. Florida spread: Pick 'em
- Virginia Tech vs. Florida over-under: 135 points
- Virginia Tech vs. Florida money line: Virginia Tech -110, Florida -110
- VT: Has played just five games since Feb. 1, fewest among all the teams in the field
- FLA: Is fourth in Division 1 in blocks per game at 5.4
Why Florida can cover
The Gators have four players averaging in double figures since junior forward Keyontae Johnson was lost for the year with a heart issue after just four games. Sophomore guard Tre Mann is coming off a monster game in which he set a career high with 30 points, including five 3-pointers in an SEC quarterfinal loss to Tennessee. He is averaging 16 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is connecting on 45.3 percent of his field goals, including 39.8 percent from 3-point range, and 84.9 percent from the free throw line. He has scored at least 21 points in each of the past four games.
Junior forward Colin Castleton also powers the Florida offense, averaging 12 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.1 assists per game. He is hitting on 58.1 percent of his field goals and 76.2 percent of his three throws. He has reached double figures in 14 games, including one double-double, a 21-point, 10-rebound effort against Mississippi on Jan. 12. The transfer from Michigan averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds off the bench for the Wolverines in 2019-20.
Why Virginia Tech can cover
The Hokies have the third-best scoring margin (plus-6.6) and scoring defense (65.5 points per game) in the ACC this year. Junior forward Keve Aluma leads the team in scoring (15.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.0) and is one of three ACC players averaging 15-plus points and eight rebounds per game this season. The others are Moses Wright of Georgia Tech and Justin Champagnie of Pittsburgh. Aluma is also averaging 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. He is connecting on 48.9 percent of his shots from the floor, including 35.1 percent from 3-point range, and 72.6 percent from the free throw line. His best game was a 30-point, 10-rebound effort at Pittsburgh on Feb. 3.
Also fueling the Virginia Tech offense is sophomore guard Tyrece Radford. He is averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, connecting on 56 percent of his field goals and 75 percent of his free throws. He has reached double digits in six consecutive games, including an 18-point, 12-rebound performance vs. Duke on Jan. 12. He is coming off a 20-point game against North Carolina in the ACC quarterfinals.
How to make Virginia Tech vs. Florida picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 143 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Virginia Tech vs. Florida? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
