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College Football Betting: Virginia Tech vs Duke Odds

Written October 2, 2009 by Hector Garza

#6 Virginia Tech is on a roll after losing their first game to #3 Alabama. Their 3-1 resume thus far includes wins against then #19 Nebraska and then #9 Miami. They’re looking to continue their streak as they hit the road to face conference opponent Duke this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Devils are 2-2 and an upset of the Hokies at home would be just what the doctor ordered. The current college football lines show that Duke is the 16 ½ point underdog and the over/under is set at 47.

Virginia Tech felt ignored last week, as all the buzz was on the Miami Hurricanes. Even though QB Tyrod Taylor contributed for only 98 yards passing on 4-9 attempts, the Hokies broke out for 31 points and embarrassed the Hurricanes at home. While it may not hurt them as much this week, Taylor will need to improve on his abysmal 47.2% completion percentage for the Hokies to continue to thrive in the big game environment. Redshirt Freshman Ryan Williams has been a pleasant surprise averaging 123 ypg running the football.

The defense was the major contributor for last week’s victory. They held Miami to under 59 yards rushing and 204 yards of total offense in a sloppy and rainy game. They also forced a two fumbles and had an interception and three sacks. Two of them came from DE Jason Worilds, who was a force on the line chipping in for six tackles as well. While they did well against Miami, the run defense is still allowing 167 ypg, a definite weak point. The Hokies will need to maintain their focus and have a similar effort to continue their hot streak. If you bet on college football, you owe it to yourself to check out the $500 match bonus going on at BetUS.

QB Thaddeus Lewis leads the Blue Devils, and the momentum is rolling after a solid win against NC Central. RB Desmond Scott made his freshman debut, and after running for 100 yards and TD, and will be more involved going forward. Duke has shown a balanced offensive attack, rushing for just over 100 yps and throwing for another 267. Lewis is a can beat you with his arms and legs, as evidenced by his 5 passing td’s and 2 rushing td’s. He is susceptible to errors, completing only 58.5% of his passes for 2 interceptions. He didn’t play last year against VA Tech, so this will be his first chance to show his mettle.

All-ACC LB Vincent Rey leads the charge for the defense. He leads the team with an impressive 37 tackles and one fumble recovery. While they’ve been susceptible to the run (153.2) ypg, the stop unit has a chance to focus on that aspect since QB Taylor hasn’t been as big a threat through the air. If Leon Wright can build on his 2 interceptions, the Blue Devils have a chance to slow down the VA Tech inconsistent offense.

The Hokies special teams blocked a punt for a td and continue to be a strong weapon. They’ve won the last 8 contests in this series and now lead it overall 9-7. If they play error free football they’ve got the better athletes on both sides of the ball, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t get the win. However, if Duke can get the run game going and force a turnover or 2, they’ve got a chance to beat the 16 ½ point spread playing at home.

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