The Virginia Tech Hokies (18-10) take on the No. 18 UNC Tar Heels (22-6) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
UNC is favored by 6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -290. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, enters as a 6.5-point underdog and is +235 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 149.5 total points.
Here are my Virginia Tech vs. UNC predictions and college basketball picks for Saturday, February 28.
Virginia Tech vs UNC Prediction, Pick
My Pick: Over 149.5
My Virginia Tech vs UNC best bet is on both teams to go over the total. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Virginia Tech vs UNC Odds, Spread, and Total
| VA Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | +235 |
| UNC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | -290 |
- Virginia Tech vs UNC Spread: UNC -6.5
- Virginia Tech vs UNC Over/Under: 149
- Virginia Tech vs UNC Moneyline: Virginia Tech +235, UNC -290
Virgina Tech vs UNC Expert NCAAB Pick for 2/28
Virginia Tech Preview
Virginia Tech comes into Chapel Hill fresh off an 82-63 victory at Wake Forest and now sits at 18-10 overall and 7-8 in the ACC.
Neoklis Avdalas had a big game in the win, scoring 17 points on 4-of-9 shooting from 3 with seven assists and no turnovers.
Avdalas has had an up-and-down offensive year for the Hokies, but in the last three games, Avdalas has 17 assists to one turnover.
He can tear a defense apart in a variety of ways with his passing, whether it's as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll, finding an open cutter in the half-court or pitch-ahead passes in transition.
Forwards Amani Hansberry and Tobi Lawal have been beneficiaries of Avdalas' assists throughout the year.
Hansberry, who leads the team with 14.7 points per game, has great hands as the roll man in the pick-and-roll and has proven to be a reliable 3-point shooter. In his last eight games, Hansberry is shooting 43.3% from deep.
Lawal is a bouncy 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward whose whole purpose is to put his head down and finish around the rim. Though he has made a 3 in four straight games, 61 of his 71 makes this season have come inside the paint.
UNC Preview
UNC is 22-6 overall and 10-5 in the ACC. It has now won two in a row as it waits to get Caleb Wilson back.
Since scoring four points on 1-of-9 shooting in the loss to NC State, Seth Trimble has averaged 21.5 points over the last two games, thanks to his ability to score around the rim.
UNC has utilized Trimble's athleticism in space, whether he has the ball in transition or when he's the ball-handler out of the pick-and-roll, allowing him to turn the corner and get downhill.
So far this season, Trimble is shooting 58-of-95 (61%) around the rim compared to 23-of-68 (33.8%) on jump shots.
Luka Bogavac has had a volatile freshman season, averaging 10 points per game. But during this two-game win streak, he's averaging 12.5 points on 50% shooting from the field.
Where he's at his best is when he's strictly a catch-and-shoot threat. Off catch-and-shoot attempts this season, he's shooting 43.4% compared to shooting 28.1% off dribble-jumpers.
With Wilson out and Henri Veesaar coming back from injury, Zayden High has done a solid job giving the Tar Heels production in the last four games, averaging 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.
How To Make Virginia Tech vs UNC Picks
UNC's offense has been efficient during its two-game winning streak, shooting over 50% in both wins while averaging 41 points in the paint.
Trimble has found success in getting downhill recently, and that should continue on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Virginia Tech's last four games, it has the 24th-best offense in the country, per Bart Torvik, while shooting 41% from 3.
Avdalas and Ben Hammond will continue to be the reliable playmakers out of the pick-and-roll, which will allow others to get easy looks within the offense.
My Pick: Over 149.5
