Updated Texas vs. Virginia Tech Odds, Spread, Pick & Predictions for 2022 NCAA Tournament

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 14, 2022

Texas Longhorns vs. Virginia Tech Hokies 2022 NCAA Tournament Game Preview

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Texas Longhorns vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Match Up Overview

	Texas	Virginia Tech
Conference	Big 12	ACC
W-L	21-11	23-12
AdjEM	15th	23rd
AdjO	33rd	18th
AdjD	13th	55th
Tempo	341st	344th
eFG%	175th	20th
TO%	159th	75th
OR%	59th	172nd
FTR	113th	334th
DeFG%	38th	117th
DTO%	14th	146th
DR%	253rd	90th
DFTR	316th	55th
Luck	279th	301st

Stats via KenPom.

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Texas Longhorns Preview

Chris Beard has taken over this Longhorns squad and brought them to the tournament. They were ranked in the top 10 at one point but fell off a cliff late in the year, losing their final three games.

If you watch this Texas offense, it looks like a bunch of athletic, talented transfers throwing it all together. There seemingly isn't much organization to their shot selection, but they have the 33rd-ranked defense in the nation. Their starting five is one of the most athletic in the country, and Texas will take what is given, making them midrange machines at times.

If you're looking for a reason to back this team, it would be their defense. The Longhorns have been able to keep up with teams like Kansas and Tennessee, but they have faltered against squads such as Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Texas struggled away from The Drum this year, and a neutral-site loss in their first Big 12 tournament game was not promising.

I really do not trust this Texas team to make a run. Their inconsistencies and flaws make me doubt they can win four in a row, let alone six. If you're looking for a team outside the top 20 to make a run in the tournament, I'd recommend finding a different team.

Virginia Tech Hokies Preview

While Virginia Tech has ranked highly in the metrics all season, their resume simply has not backed it up. At one point this team was 10-10, with losses to N.C. State and Boston College, both ranked outside the top 100. After the sluggish start, Mike Young's program only lost two more games the rest of the regular season, ranking 18th overall from that point on.

The Hokies are a lot of fun to watch with their fourth-ranked 3p% and a number of players who can gun it from beyond the arc. They depend a lot on the three-ball, with 38% of their points coming from deep, ranking 30th in the nation. While that is scary against teams that defend the perimeter well, it still means this team is capable of catching fire, as they had a six-game conference win streak this year and impressed in the ACC tournament.

It appears that the Hokies have really found their groove. They don't have much depth, and their offense isn't exactly dynamic, but they will still give opposing teams trouble with their deep shooting capabilities.

Rapid Prediction for Texas Longhorns vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech went from squarely on the bubble to locking up a bid by winning the ACC Tournament. Their reward? An 11 seed in the East Region and a meeting with coach Chris Beard and the No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns. Nobody wants to see Beard across the bracket from them in March. But Texas has struggled to consistently put it together, finishing just 10-8 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns will have their hands full with a Hokies team that ranks third in three-point percentage, per KenPom.com. Texas defends at an elite level, ranking 13th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per BartTorvik. However, they from the floor, ranking 171st in effective shooting percentage. And while the Longhorns are proficient at cleaning up the offensive glass, the Hokies are pretty good at limiting extra opportunities. However, the Longhorns might be the toughest defensive team Virginia Tech has played all season. Texas doesn't have a ton of upside to make a deep run, but I trust Beard to get the Longhorns past a Hokies team that might be emotionally spent after expending so much energy just to make the dance.

Texas Longhorns vs. Virginia Tech Hokies Round 1 Game Pick

Texas -1.5

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