Folks, I don't know how Vegas does the odds but I don't have a good feeling being on the road to Pitt. I hope my feeling is wrong.
Despite back-to-back losses as the favorite, William Hill Sportsbook has Virginia Tech favored over Pittsburgh for this weekend's contest. After opening as a 2-point favorite over the Panthers earlier this week, the line has moved to Virginia Tech -3.5 as of Tuesday morning.
William Hill has the over/under set at 55.5.
The slide in the spread likely has to do with a COVID outbreak within the Panthers program that contributed to this past weekend's contest against Georgia Tech being postponed.
From Fuente
"I don't know any more than the rest of ya'll when it comes to their status," Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente said during his Monday talk with the media. "I'll tell you this, we deal with uncertainty every day. I took my 30th COVID test today. Hopefully, I get the text message, like I've gotten 29 times before, that says I can keep coming to work. You can imagine all our players and staff that either get a text that's good or a phone call that's bad. So we're all dealing with uncertainty on a daily basis. This thing hasn't gone away. I think our guys have done a great job of handling it."
Comments
Hey Vegas....
*** logs into bovada account... place bet on Pitt +3.5
You'll be happy either way
exactly... Ideally a win in the sorts of VT 20 - Pitt 17
I wouldn't touch this game with a ten foot pole. A lesson I learned long ago is to never bet on your team in any capacity (for/against/over/under).
Ehhhh I've won a bunch of money betting against Tech. They're a team I know (knew, this year is an anomaly) more than any other team. As long as you keep emotion out of it you can win good money.
Betting for Tech is a little harder for me...I don't like the double loss stat.
Let's be clear: Vegas doesn't necessarily think VT will win. Vegas sets the lines to make the most amount of money they can. They think that people will see Pitt as a really bad team (they are) and take the Hokies to win by at least a score.
Except the betting for Miami didn't change Vegas's line or odds. Vegas actually for so,e reason likes Tech to win these games.
Even statistics likes Tech in these games. How I understand it, It has something to do with the expected outcome of VT games based on the statistics of the games. Computers see VT wins against Liberty, Wake and Miami a majority of the time based on the actual statistics of the games.
Yes, advanced stats have us winning 3 of our 4 losses, and the 4th being close, but that's why you play the game. I think the frustration folks have is exactly that. We are losing games we should statistically be winning.
Vegas doesn't give a shit about who wins, they care about money and stats. We all thought the Miami line was crazy, but in reality, it was pretty close.
I'm not talking about the frustration we all see here. I was just explaining that the lines have also aligning with how statistics see the Hokies and how they still see them as a team that should be winning. I was explaining how I understood why the line, specifically the Miami one, is the way it is. What's interesting is the computers also didn't change the Miami line much over the season. They had VT winning since the beginning.
I was agreeing with you, so yes.
Won't get fooled again
I don't know that I would feel comfortable betting on VT, but Pitt is absolutely as dysfunctional as we are right now, so something has to give.
VT has a way of curing the ills of other teams. There's a pretty decent chance that Pitt will look like they've righted their ship a bit on Saturday
VT football = slump buster
"A completely moveable object meets a stopable force" The TV headline for this game probably
If anyone saw this before the edit, yikes.
I saw it and wondered about it. Didn't sound right :P
I knew what I wanted to type but it was completely wrong. I noticed it right when I hit submit.
This game's on TV? Why?
I would hope that we're favored against a team that is currently not holding football activities. The moneyline should be yes/no on whether the game is played, not VT/Pitt.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..three times...whatever screw you Vegas
"strategery"
It ain't rocket surgery
Synonym? That's my favorite flavor!
LOCK BOX
The source for those that don't know the reference.
All of us miss this innocent type of presidential nonsensery
i've never been a betting man
So this means we'll lose by 10?
I know Miami isn't deserving of their ranking, but we did just take a top-10 team to the wire and they only won by a point.... [takes off optimistic hat]... if Pitt is as dysfunctional as they appear to be then I agree this should be a draw. The only reason for the -3.5 is because of the homefield advantage (if that's such a thing this season, which translates to a ~30-26 win for Tech (?) if we also cover the over.
Home field is typically about 3 points. This year has been trending about 2. That means the sharps think we'll win by 5.5.
Im sure there's a Simpson gif out there about math that applies very well to me post.
Anyone that has us winning any game at this point by more than a FG needs their head examined.
You sweet summer child.
I'm headed to Vegas this weekend and will be putting money down on Pitt for this game.
Remember last year when Unc had a mediocre record but commentators kept saying "all the games they lost were by a td or less, next year if they can close blah blah blah"...we are that team this year!
yeah except we don't have a Sam Howell on our roster. Our only shot at being good offensively next year is if Herbert stays in Blacksburg
Ho man next year... that roster... prepare Uranus...
I thought KH was a grad transfer??
That is correct. However, this year the COVID rule is in effect: all athletes get an additional year of eligibility if they want it. So he can play again next year if he doesn't leave school. However, I see no real benefit for him there. I mean, he has put up great numbers this year pre-injury. If he can show that he can still produce post-injury, then he should leave for the NFL and get paid rather than risk his career by playing another year of college ball.
The thought hadnt even crossed my mind honestly thanks for the scoop! Would love to have him back but would totally get if this season ends in the shitter and next year doesnt look a whole lot better.
He could decide to stick around and finish his masters for free. I am sure we could be persuaded to find a scholarship for him next year.
That is by big question for next year, do we get extra scholarships for all of these players that might decide to stick around for one year?
If you can get paid, get paid. This isn't a Jerod Evans situation where noone outside of the the Tech fan base even knows who you are. Herbert is leading or close to leading in many statistical categories and was on the tail end of a couple Heisman lists earlier this year. He will get paid and should. He can always pull a Kevin Jones and come back for his degree after his NFL career if he wants.
I said could, not necessarily should. I agree the half-life on RB careers is short enough, make money when you can.
Or....add another transfer?
The OL will be good. HH will be in his third year. We will return at least two of best receivers. We will return Holston and probably Blackshear (who is a good player, look at his RU #s).
I don't expect a significant drop off at Offense next year as long as Fuente doesn't blow 1/2 the roster up.
You mean this offense that is drubbing Pitt at the moment? Yeah drop off isn't what I'm worried about. This offense isn't that good. Apparently. Now that teams have figured out we can't throw it reliably they're taking away the run and we're not good enough to run it effectively. Herbert might be able to hurt some defenses. Maybe. But for the rest of this season points are going to be tough to come by.
Take VT by 7 in this one. As long as the team still hasn't quit, it is time for the law of averages to win out. If this is the team's breaking point, take Pitt by 14.
I think we see a bit more of QP in this one too to loosen up that stout front and pop some things over the top after.
Sorry Vegas. No matter how much I want it to be true, not buying it. Even in a better year, a Pitt matchup is never a given. At least not like a matchup against say...Liberty?
Agree.
The matchup is the problem here. Pitt has the #2 Rushing D in the country--78 ypg. Combine that with Herbert still unlikely to be 100% and I have trouble picking VT here.
There certainly may be some recency bias to this, but if we have to rely on passing to win, I think Pitt wins a close likely low-scoring and ugly game.
Sadly, I can't disagree with this assessment.
see, that's just it. I fully expect, irrationally, that we will have a banner day passing the ball. Tre Turner is going to have a monster game. Does any of this stand to reason? Nope, but every one of my expectations for that last few games has been turned on it's head so I'm going ahead and expecting the unexpected.
It's opposite day!
I can't fault your logic!
you can almost see him lose it and break character here....almost
Nah, Tech wins by 14+ points. Pitt Fires Narduzzi, The Hokies fire Fuente at the end of the season and hire Narduzzi to replace him. The VT fan base melts down.
p.s: All said in ironic jest. And not in jest - Go Hokies!
Wait... 4pm kickoff AND ACCN?!?! Gimme the Hokies to cover!
Historically, VT has played terrible at Pitt. Even when they were favored by 2 TD's and playing a dysfunctional team. I say history will repeat itself because something happens to our players once they cross into Pittsburgh. Which is why I don't bet on VT games.
Uhhh anyone else see this? https://richmond.com/sports/college/virginia-tech-football-players-will-...
I'm taking the stupid survey to read the article, but it sounds like we gotta wear masks while playing.
It got clarified by PA officials, they don't have to wear masks on the field anymore
Disregard. No masks after all.
There is a different browser viewing mode you can use to view those articles. Saves you from the survey. Just a thought.
So, on bovada, VT is now -6.5.
I've been home sick for a few days, did CornFu get fired and I missed it?
No because that would move it to -26.5. More likely a KH health update.
Think Vegas learned their lesson?
The poor bastards.