No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies (-20.5) at Marshall Thundering Herd, Total 46.5 |
Saturday’s game will mark the 11th football meeting between Virginia Tech and Marshall, as the Hokies come in with an 8-2 edge in the all-time series. The two schools last met in 2009, as Virginia Tech captured a dominating 52-10 win as 19.5-point home favorites.
Interestingly enough, Virginia Tech hasn’t started 4-0 since 2006, but it’s likely that will change Saturday. The team also is ranked eighth nationally in giving up just 224.7 yards a contest, which includes just 55.3 rushing yards a game.
“We want to get back to that dominant defense,” stated Hokies cornerback Jayron Hosley during practice this week. It was a down year for the unit in 2010, ranking 52nd in college football, failing to finish in side the top 12 since the 2003 campaign.
It’s a proud program, as Virginia Tech is the only school in major college football to win 10 games in each of the past seven seasons. It’s tied with USC for the fourth-longest such streak in the modern era.
Offensively, much of the focus centers around running back David Wilson, who is averaging 129.3 rushing yards per game and has also scored four touchdowns. He is averaging 6.2 yards a carry.
college football betting experts will find that the Hokies are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games against losing competition and 19-11 ATS overall in the last two-plus campaigns.
Marshall comes in with a 1-2 record, dropping a 44-7 contest to the Ohio Bobcats as 5.5-point road underdogs last week. The Thundering Herd were out-gained by an incredible 228 yards. Head coach Doc Holliday knows his team will face an even stiffer test in Week 4.
“Virginia Tech is a great football team,” commented Holliday. “I don’t think I need to tell anyone that. They’re one of the top teams in the ACC.”
Defending the pass has been a major weakness for the boys from Huntington, allowing 846 yards through the air in three weeks, including 288 last week against Ohio.
The offense isn’t helping the cause, turning the ball over six times last week, including four picks from starting quarterback Rakeem Cato. It’s likely that the team will rely heavily on running back Tron Martinez, who gained a season-high 172 rushing yards last week.
Sportsbooks bettors will find that the Thundering Herd are 9-10 ATS as an underdog, including a 3-3 ATS mark when getting 10.5 to 21 points in betting predictions.
Holliday’s team may still have the upper hand, as Marshall is 10-1-1 ATS in home games versus teams with a winning road mark.
