After 14 days off, the Virginia Tech football team will return to the field at Duke on Saturday night looking for their sixth win of the season to become bowl-eligible. It has been a frustrating season for the Hokies in Year 3 of Brent Pry sitting at 5-5 through 10 games after high expectations before it.
Going into their primetime kickoff in Durham, Virginia Tech will face a 7-3 Duke team having a good season in Manny Diaz's first year. The Hokies' injuries are piling up ahead of the matchup. The status of several key players, including quarterback Kyron Drones and running back Bhayshul Tuten, will likely be game-time decisions.
This feels like a tall task for Virginia Tech going on the road simply because of their struggles away from Blacksburg and their inability to win one-score games under Pry. Regardless of who plays, you get the feeling that it will be another tight game and can the Hokies finally pull one out on the road?
Virginia Tech vs. Duke: Final odds & predictions
When the line was released by DraftKings on Sunday, the Hokies opened as a favorite on the road and despite all the questions surrounding injuries with them, Virginia Tech remains a favorite by 3 points with an over/under of 46.5 points. If the game ends up being close, for Tech, converting drives into touchdowns instead of field goals would go a long way into winning.
Tuten, Dornes, Jeremiah Coney, Collin Schlee, or anyone who runs the ball needs to establish a running game for the Hokies. Ball control and getting off the field on third downs defensively will go a long way toward having success against the Blue Devils.
In the end, this will be a game that comes down to who has the ball last and who can make more plays on both sides of the ball. Take the points with the Duke along with the over, but the Hokies still get a sixth win.