The Hokies opened as 27-point road favorites against winless ECU. Bettors seemed to like the Pirates after watching a slow starting Tech team last week.
Vegas seems to love the Hokies as they travel to East Carolina to take on the Pirates. The line opened up universally with Virginia Tech favored by 27 points. ECU has yet to prove they are worthy of anything more respectable, with a loss to FCS National Champion James Madison, as well as a blowout at the hands of common opponent, West Virginia.
The betting public seems to think that line is too big, however. Since opening at 27 points, the line has dropped as low as 21 points. That is a huge drop when it comes to Vegas odds. Bettors probably look to the Hokies’ slow start at home against Delaware as motivation for fading Tech.
Against a common opponent in this still young season, the outcomes were very different. The Hokies covered and beat West Virginia on a neutral field, while the Pirates were blown out by 36 points by the same team a week later. The Pirates failed to cover for the second straight week.
The Hokies were unable to cover a 40.5 point spread at home against Delaware, thanks to the aforementioned slow offensive start.
The public loves to bet against an offense that is perceived as struggling. If you are looking to bet the Hokies this week, wait closer to game time, as the number may shrink even more. Monitoring line movement is crucial to getting the best spread.
