Virginia Tech vs Virginia: Hokies Close as Favorites in Rivalry Game
Virginia Tech is hosting Virginia tonight and the winner not only gets a win over their arch-rival, but they get to bowl eligibility. It is a huge game between two teams that really need a win.
Despite the injuries to the quarterback position, Virginia Tech is going to be favored in tonight's game. At Fanduel Sportsbook, the Hokies are closing as a 4.5 point favorite against Virginia tonight and the total is set at 45.5.
There is only one more opportunity left for Virginia Tech to try and reach bowl eligibility. After a 5-3 start to the season that had the Hokies still in the mix for a spot in the ACC Championship, the team has lost three straight heading into their final regular season game against rival Virginia. While Virginia Tech has had a ton of success against the Cavaliers over the last 20 years, they will have to play a tremendous game for them to have a chance to win on Saturday and play in the postseason for the second consecutive season.
At the start of the year, Virginia Tech was being talked about as one of the biggest surprise teams not just in the ACC, but in the country. This team's biggest goals have gone away, but they still have an opportunity to reach a bowl game for the second straight season. That should still be a big deal to the program, but on the other side, the Cavaliers are trying to make a bowl game for the first time under Tony Elliott. They are going to be fired up about playing in this game and having a chance to make a bowl game, so Virginia Tech can't take it for granted, no matter their past success vs Virginia.
Here's how we think Virginia Tech's matchup against Duke will go.
Jackson Caudell (Publisher and Lead Editor), 7-4 record this year: Virginia Tech 28, Virginia 27
Connor Mardian (Writer), 6-5 record this year: Virginia Tech 21-17
Phoebe Winters (Writer), 1-0 record this year: Virginia Tech 38, Virginia 28
Kahlil McCuller (Writer), 6-5 record this year: Virginia Tech 24-21
RJ Schafer (Writer), 8-3 record this year: Virginia Tech 22-18
Zach Ozmon (Writer), 8-3 record this year: Virginia Tech 27-20
This of course is a rivalry that Virginia Tech has dominated. Since 2000, Virginia only has two wins in the series (2003 and 2019) and the Hokies dominated in last year's game 55-17. Virginia Tech leads the all-time series 61-38. Is that going to continue on Saturday?
Additonal Links:
Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for the Hokies on Saturday vs Virginia
Virginia Tech Football: What Does ESPN’s FPI Say About the Game Against Virginia?
Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell