Virginia Tech vs. Miami Odds, Best Bets: Can Hokies Challenge No. 7 Canes?
For a number of programs in the ACC, including Virginia Tech and No. 7 Miami, conference play hasn't even gotten underway.
In just four weeks of nonconference action, though, Miami has already gone from being perceived in the preseason as merely one of a handful of challengers to Florida State and Clemson to the league's clear betting favorite entering Week 5, and star QB Cam Ward has emerged as the early-season Heisman Trophy favorite.
Friday night, Miami's conference slate opens with a visit from old Big East rival Virginia Tech, which is 2-2 after early-season upset losses to both Vanderbilt and Rutgers.
The contrasting results to date for UM and VT have led oddsmakers to make the Canes favorites of 17 points or more in Friday night's game.
This game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Virginia Tech vs. Miami Betting Odds
Below are the odds for Saturday's game in three markets: the spread, moneyline and total.
Virginia Tech vs. Miami Betting Preview
The Canes blew out Florida 41-17 in Gainesville in Week 1, and they've been cruising ever since. UM beat its first four opponents this year - UF, Florida A&M, Ball State and South Florida - by a combined score of 209-41, and Ward has lit up all four of those teams for at least 300 yards and three passing TDs.
The Hokies' strong finish in 2023, as well as the return of almost every key player from last year's roster, made VT a trendy darkhorse in the ACC back this summer. But they have endured a September to forget, from a season-opening overtime loss at Vanderbilt to last Saturday's 26-23 loss at home to Rutgers.
Will Friday night's game serve as the latest showcase for Ward's Heisman case?
Or will the veteran Hokies, who have their entire ACC slate ahead of them, right the ship with a Friday night stunner at Hard Rock Stadium?
Virginia Tech Hokies Betting News, Analysis
On paper, Miami should cruise against Virginia Tech.
The latter won five of its final seven games of the 2023 season, including a Military Bowl victory over Tulane, but was blown out by Florida State and Louisville and trailed NC State 35-14 entering the fourth quarter of what ended up being a respectable 35-28 loss.
So far this year, the Hokies did not just lose to Vandy and Rutgers, but needed rallies to make those final scores close.
Rutgers led VT 23-7 after 45 minutes, then kicked a game-winning field goal with two minutes remaining after Tech had tied it up at 23-all. Against the Commodores in the season opener, the Hokies fell into a 17-3 hole at halftime, but forced overtime with 24 second-half points.
Miami Hurricanes Betting News, Analysis
Miami took a 24-10 first-half lead on Florida in its season opener and hasn't been pushed since.
There's not much to glean from the Canes' first four matchups, besides the fact that there's a massive gap between UM and the teams it has faced so far. Florida posed a theoretically tough challenge, but the Gators ended up getting routed. In Weeks 2-4, Florida A&M, Ball State and South Florida were all clearly overmatched. USF did keep last week's game respectable for a half, but Miami outscored the Bulls 28-0 after the break.
A useful reference point as we try to figure out VT-Miami is ESPN's SP+ , writer Bill Connelly's "tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency."
According to this metric, Florida is the No. 33 team in the country, with the No. 13 offense, the No. 62 defense and the No. 1 special teams unit. VT is not far behind the Gators at No. 40 in SP+, which ranks the Virginia Tech offense No. 51, its defense No. 37 and its special teams No. 42.
The takeaway: VT is not quite as good as the Florida team that Miami dismantled in The Swamp back in Week 1.
Virginia Tech vs. Miami Prediction, Best Bets
Miami wouldn't be the first highly ranked favorite to end up in a closer-than-expected September battle with a longtime rival, but we're not expecting tonight's game to come down to the wire.
It's almost impossible to pull an upset of this magnitude without an outstanding passer. While VT's Kyron Drones is a dangerous runner, he doesn't fit that bill, as his passing numbers against Tech's toughest opponents the last two years have left a lot to be desired.
Drones went 13-of-27 for 137 yards, 0 TDs and 1 interception last week against Rutgers, and while his completion percentage this season is up slightly from 2023, it's still sub-60 percent.
On the opposite sideline, Ward has to be salivating at the opportunity he has in primetime. VT's defense has already been shredded this season by Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (12-of-16 for 190 yards passing, plus 104 yards rushing vs. VT) and Rutgers signal caller Athan Kaliakmanis, who completed 16-of-25 passes for 269 yards against the Hokies last weekend.
We'll go chalky and take Miami to light up the scoreboard in a comfortable win at home.
Virginia Tech vs. Miami Best Bets
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