Pinnacle +13½ -105  BET365 +13½ -110 Sportsinteraction +13½ -110 888Sport +13½ -110

Posted at 9:45 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Vanderbilt +13½ over Virginia Tech

FirstBank Stadium – Nashville, TN

Streaming: ESPN

12:00 PM EST. The conversation surrounding this contest is one-sided. One will hear that the Hokies are one of 2024’s sleeper teams and a traditional heavyweight waiting to awake from hibernation after spending several seasons in mediocrity which saw Va Tech fail to finish with a winning record for three straight seasons before finally finishing 7-6 in 2023. With Skipper Brent Pry stewarding the third-year of the rebuild while returning quarterback Kyron Drones and wide-receivers Da’Quan Felton and Jaylin Lane, there is anticipation that Virginia Polytechnic Institute will be returning to the stage of prominence in the ACC pecking order and we’re here to attempt to take advantage of that narrative.

Let’s call it what it is here, as well: Virginia Tech has far more brand prestige than that of the hosts. The Hokies are supposed to be a big-name program and to dwindle in any tier below elite is something that this program doesn't like to entertain. However, we must remind everyone that Pry and the team he returns won seven games last year against the following teams: Old Dominion, Pitt, Wake Forest, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia, and Tulane. Four of these games were at home, one was in a bowl game against a team (Tulane) that likely didn’t want to be there, and five of VT’s six regular season victories were against teams with losing records. Their one win against Boston College incidentally was against a team that finished their regular season 6-6, so in other words VT fed on bottom-feeders and also did so from the comfort of Lane Stadium. By no means is this a team to salivate over spotting this quantity of points on the road to a team that perhaps is better than the numbers entail.

The Clark Lea era in Vanderbilt has not been one marked with triumph. Henll, Vandy won a mere two games last year so its stock is low and has been for a long time. However, Vanderbilt has always been an outfit that has fared well overall outside of league play. You see the Commodores play in the SEC East and every year they are tasked with facing the following teams: Georgia (the best team in the game), Tennessee (a team that has been ranked as high as #1 in the last two seasons), Florida (usually ranked at some point every season), Kentucky (usually ranked at some point every season), South Carolina, Missouri (a team that won the Cotton Bowl last year), and Ole Miss (regularly inside the top-15). That’s seven games that the Commodores are set up to lose out of the gate but it speaks to the level of quality that the SEC possesses and why it is regarded as the most difficult conference in college football.

Facing Virginia Tech is a step down for the Commodores and they get the benefit of facing them in the Music City. Moreover, the ‘Dores have acquired the services of one Diego Pavia, the New Mexico State legend that led the Aggies to two consecutive bowl wins in 2022 and 2023. Pavia could be the sort of field general that the Commodores need to become more formidable, as Vandy has always had talent but never had the continuity to put it all together. Success almost always starts with quarterback play. Should Pavia do Pavia things, this football team is more likely to be the sleeper here, as the Commodores are well off the radar and the market is nowhere close to catching up to them. The time to buy on Vandy is now and it wouldn’t surprise us one bit if the host won outright.

Sherwood

Pinnacle takes some of the lowest fees on all users’ bets, meaning it’s able to offer some of the best value odds on the market. Compared to other major, well-known sportsbooks, Pinnacle offers superior average odds pricing. Pinnacle’s low betting margins and high betting limits is the best in the biz and will save you thousands of dollars over your betting life.

For instance, a baseball game at most sportsbooks has 20 to 25 cent margins

Arizona     -150

Detroit      +125

That’s a 25 cent margin but at Pinnacle, it’ll be an 9 cent margin (see example)

Arizona       -145

Detroit    +134

If you bet on sports daily, Pinnacle is a must have because of their low margins.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------