Virginia Tech Hokies AT Georgia Tech Yellowjackets
January 25, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST
Opening Line:  Va Tech -2.5
Current Line: Va Tech -3.5
Opening Total: 133
Current Total: 133.5
Opening Moneyline: Va Tech -140 / Ga Tech +120
Current Moneyline:  Va Tech -170 / Ga Tech +145

Tonight’s game is a showdown between ACC Rivals.  Georgia Tech has a 2-3 Conference record and Virginia Tech is 3-2 in the ACC.  Virginia Tech also has the better record overall, at 13-5 while the Jackets hover at .500 with a 9-9 mark.  Virginia Tech has been blowing out opponents, as evidenced by their +12.1 point differential, and though Georgia Tech is at .500, they are averaging a 3.8 point win in point differentials.  The combinative total of the two teams offensive output is 142.6, well over the total predicted by College basketball oddsmakers.

Some betting trends:

Virginia Tech is 4-1 SU in their last 5 road games and the total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 6 on the road.

Georgia Tech is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games and 19-3 SU in their last 22 games at home.  Georgia Tech is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games against Virginia Tech.  The total has gone OVER in 4 of their last 5 games against Virginia Tech.

Georgia Tech is led by 6’5″ junior guard Iman Shumpert, who posts averages of 16.5 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 2.5 steals per contest.  He’s effective at getting to the basket and averages 5.2 free throw attempts per game.  Over his last three games he is averaging 23 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game, including a 30 point game in a win over UNC on January 16th.  They also get big contributions from Glen Rice Jr., a 6’5″ sophomore son of NBA legend Glen Rice.   He’s not quite the shooter his father was, but he does average 12.9 points in 28 minutes a game and is still developing.  In his freshman season he shot 46.7% from three, but had a small sample size of 60 attempts on the year.  Georgia Tech’s only other big cog in the machine is 6’6″ sophomore swingman Brian Oliver.  Oliver is second on the team in minutes played and averages 10.6 points per game.  He’s having a horrible year from behind the arc, having gone 32 of 105.  He’s already had two games with 11 attempted threes, though, so he’s not afraid to fire away from downtown.

Virginia Tech is led by the quarteet of Malcolm Delaney, Jeff Allen, Erick Green, and Dorenzo Hudson.  They have a strong six man rotation in which all six players play over 25 minutes a game, and 5 of the 6 play over 30 minutes a night.  Delaney, a 6’3″ senior point guard, averages 18.9 points per game, 4.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and shoots 42.5% from three.   He’s scored in double figures in every Hokies’ game except for two (Wake Forest & Purdue).  He’s had seven games with 20 points or more and has a season high of 30, which he scored in a 12 point loss to UNLV.  Jeff Allen is a strong presence inside despite being only 6’7″.  He averages 11.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 9.3 boards a game.  He’s posted seven double doubles this season and also averages over 1 stl + 1 blk, showing his defensive prowess.   He’ll be checked by Oliver but may need to be switched onto a bigger man to help control him on the offensive boards, as he is averaging 2.5 offensive rebounds per night.

This game between the two ACC Rivals should be a good one.  Virginia Tech is a better team, but they’re on the road and Georgia Tech is tough at home.