NCAAB odds, pick: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech betting preview for Monday, Feb. 19

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech Odds

Monday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAB odds here.

Virginia Cavaliers

It may not always be pretty, but Tony Bennett's team keeps finding ways to win basketball games.

The Cavaliers couldn't even get to 50 points at home Saturday, yet still took down Wake Forest 49-47 in a defensive slugfest.

You won't find many teams in America with starker splits from offense to defense than the Cavaliers. Per KenPom, Virginia is 145th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and eighth in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.

Those metrics help explain why Virginia has played plenty of close games all season. You're not going to blow out many teams with a mediocre offense, and you'll likely always be able to hang around when you're getting a lot of stops.

The few times the defense hasn't shown up, the Cavaliers have gotten blown out by the likes of Memphis, Wisconsin and NC State.

The Hokies have plenty of shot makers throughout their lineup, so Virginia is going to need to be better offensively to escape Blacksburg with a victory.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Virginia Tech is almost a polar opposite to Virginia.

The Hokies have had no issues scoring the ball all year, and Mike Young's roster is filled with shooters.

In the loss Saturday at North Carolina, the Hokies still went for 81 points and got quality looks throughout the game. The problem for Virginia Tech was on the other end, which has been the case for most of the year.

North Carolina shot over 50% from the field and went for 96 points, and the Hokies had no answer for Armando Bacot.

Fortunately for Virginia Tech on Monday night, Virginia doesn't really have a post player to rely on for regular scoring in the paint. The Hokies haven't been able to defend elite post players well all season, but in this matchup they won't need to.

In the first meeting back in January, the Hokies held the Cavaliers to 4-of-14 on 3-point shots and also forced seven turnovers.

If Virginia Tech can once again guard the arc and hold Virginia to one shot a trip, it can control this game.

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

Betting Pick & Prediction

I love the spot for the Hokies here with their backs against the wall and looking to exact some revenge against their biggest rival.

Virginia's offense continues to really struggle in the halfcourt, and I don't anticipate that changing much in a hostile environment.

On the other end, Virginia Tech has the type of offensive approach that can have some success against Bennett's pack-line system.

Give me the Hokies to outpace the Cavaliers at home and keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive. I'd back Virginia Tech up to -3.

Pick: Virginia Tech -2 (Play to -3)