The Kentucky Wildcats aim for their fourth consecutive victory when they meet the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday in the 2019 Belk Bowl. Kickoff from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is set for 12 p.m. ET. The Wildcats (7-5), who are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven contests, won their last three regular-season games by at least 24 points for the first time in school history. The Hokies (8-4) finished their schedule with a 39-30 loss at Virginia on Nov 29 and own a 13-19 postseason record after dropping a 35-31 decision to Cincinnati in last year's Military Bowl.
Still, the Hokies are two-point favorites, off a half-point from the opener, while the over-under for total points scored is 46.5 in the latest Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky odds. Before finalizing your Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech picks, make sure to see the latest 2019 Belk Bowl predictions from SportsLine's resident Hokies expert, Zack Cimini.
Cimini is a highly-respected Las Vegas handicapper who's never afraid to buck conventional wisdom. He uses a new-age approach to excel in multiple sports and has been one of the SportsLine's most successful analysts on an annual basis. Moreover, he is a stunning 6-1 on college football picks against the spread involving Virginia Tech all time, including hitting both of his picks this season. Anybody who has been following him is way up.
Now, Cimini has locked in on Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky in the 2019 Belk Bowl from every angle and released another confident against-the-spread pick. You need to head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are several college football betting lines and trends for Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech:
- Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky spread: Hokies -2
- Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky over-under: 46.5 points
- Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky money line: Hokies -137, Wildcats +115
- VT: TE James Mitchell has scored four touchdowns on five carries this season
- UK: QB Lynn Bowden Jr. has six 100-yard rushing performances
Why Virginia Tech can cover
Cimini knows that the Hokies were 23-3 under coach Justin Fuente when scoring at least 30 points before falling to the Cavaliers. Virginia Tech has posted 25 consecutive victories when allowing 17 points or fewer and is 31-2 since 2015 when permitting 21 or fewer.
Virginia Tech's ground attack is led by Deshawn McClease, who has rushed for career-highs of 717 yards and six touchdowns this season. The junior, who has recorded two 100-yard performances in 2019, gained 86 on 16 carries and also scored in the loss to Virginia. Quarterback Hendon Hooker also is dangerous on the ground and has run for 306 yards and five TDs during his sophomore campaign. Tech has a point differential of plus-6.3 this season, compared to the Wildcats' plus-4.7.
Why Kentucky can cover
The Wildcats have recorded at least seven victories each of the last four seasons, marking the first time they've accomplished the feat since 2006-09. Kentucky has registered a total of 133 points during its winning streak and has scored at least 45 points in back-to-back contests for the first time since 2014. The Wildcats have notched 31 wins since 2016, their most in a four-year span since 1950-53 under coach Bear Bryant.
Bowden has guided Kentucky to a 5-2 record since switching from wide receiver to quarterback. The junior ran for career-highs of 284 yards and four touchdowns against Louisville, becoming just the ninth player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Bowden has gained 1,235 yards on the ground this year and needs just 54 to pass Mark Higgs (1987) for fifth place on Kentucky's single-season list.
How to make your Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech picks
We can tell you Cimini is leaning under, and he's also identified the critical x-factor that has him all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing it at SportsLine.
Who wins Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl 2019? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky spread you should back on Tuesday, all from the seasoned expert who has hit on six of his seven all-time picks involving the Hokies, and find out.
