Duke at Virginia Tech odds, prediction: How to bet and watch online

After scoring a big win over Michigan State in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, Duke will look to avoid falling into a trap in its first conference action of the year.

These may not be last season’s Blue Devils, but Duke has shown that they are still a huge threat to make a run at a national championship. The baby Blue Devils had their finest moment on Tuesday, when they experienced their first true road game and responded with a beatdown of Michigan State at the Breslin Center.

Vernon Carey was an unstoppable force for Duke in the contest, picking up 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as he dominated the interior. That inside presence allowed the Blue Devils to space the floor for their perimeter players, and it paid off in spades as Duke knocked down seven of their 15 three-point attempts.

The Blue Devils needed that effort after suffering a brutal home loss to Stephen F. Austin last week, but before they can return home they have another road trip to being their conference schedule. That trip comes tonight, with Duke heading down to Blacksburg for a showdown with one of the ACC’s biggest surprises, Virginia Tech.

Despite being picked to finish 14th in the ACC’s preseason polls, Virginia Tech has gotten off to a very fast start this season. The Hokies cruised to a 6-0 start that was headlined by a stunning upset over Michigan State at the Maui Invitational, but they followed it up with back-to-back losses to Dayton and BYU.

The key player in the matchup for Virginia Tech is freshman guard Landers Nolley II, who has averaged 20 points per game over his first eight collegiate games. Nolley scored 22 points in two of the Hokies’ three games in Maui, and he will need to have another big game if Virginia Tech hopes to keep up with their ACC foes.

One thing that Virginia Tech also does well is share the basketball, ranking 16th in the country with 17.3 assists per game. That kind of excellent ball movement could do well against a young Duke team that is still trying to gel as a unit on the defensive end of the floor.

This contest is also a rematch of a Sweet 16 matchup in Washington, D.C. a year ago, with the Blue Devils escaping with a 75-73 victory.

How to watch Duke at Virginia Tech

Date: Friday, Dec. 6

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Blacksburg, VA

Venue: Cassell Coliseum

TV: ACC Network

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Odds: Duke -6.5 (The Action Network)

Prediction: Duke