Miami (FL) Hurricanes at No. 21 Virginia Tech Hokies (-7.5), Total 44.5 |
Miami is set to play its first road game since being handed a 32-24 loss by the Maryland Terrapins as four-point underdogs in the season opener. The Hurricanes finished their recent three-game homestand with a 2-1 record, handing Ohio State and Bethune-Cookman losses, while falling to Kansas State.
Running back Lamar Miller is the star of the program at this time, as he has rushed for over 100 yards in all four games, but will be facing a defense that ranks second nationally in rush defense.
The Hurricanes are gaining more confidence in quarterback Jacory Harris, as he has thrown for 570 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. “He is playing winning football, and we are excited about the direction he is going,” commented Hurricanes coach Al Golden. “We went through hell and back in the last five weeks and now that is done.”
Miami will arrive in Blacksburg sporting an all-time record of 17-11 versus Virginia Tech. Since joining the ACC, the Hurricanes are 2-5 against the Hokies.
sportsbook bettors will find that the team is 6-7 ATS on the road the last two-plus years and the ‘under’ holds a slight 7-6 advantage.
Virginia Tech is 4-1 on the season after dropping a 23-3 home contest to the Clemson Tigers last week as seven-point favorites. The Hokies finished the game with just 125 passing yards and surrendering four sacks.
A soft non-conference schedule definitely didn’t prepare the team or quarterback Logan Thomas for an opponent of Clemson’s caliber. “They kept me on my toes, didn’t give me a chance to get a good feel for the game,” Thomas stated.
The visiting team in this series has won four of the last seven games and five out of 10. The Hokies have won the last two games in the series, including a 31-17 win in Miami as two-point favorites last year.
One of the keys to watch for in this game is time of possession, as Virginia Tech ranks second nationally at 35:48 minutes per game. The Hokies have also scored in nine consecutive quarters against the Hurricanes.
Bettors will likely back the Hokies due to their 5-1 ATS mark when hosting in the series, while the ‘under’ is 7-1 in the last eight meetings.
