Coppin State Eagles vs Virginia Tech Hokies Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 1

Virginia Tech opens its season as a huge favorite over Coppin State at Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies have blown this opponent out before, but they allowed 74.9 points a game last season and they play again in two days.

The Matchup

Virginia Tech is a 31.5-point favorite over Coppin State at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg on Tuesday night, with a total of 151.5, on ACCNX. It is the season opener for both teams. Virginia Tech finished 19-13 last season, scoring 78.8 points per game and allowing 74.9. Coppin State finished 7-24, scoring 65.5 and allowing 80.4. Those are last season's numbers, and both rosters look different now.

The Hokies' best player is Amani Hansberry, a senior forward who averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds last season and made the preseason All-ACC second team. Next to him, Ben Hammond averaged 13.2 points and shot 43.1 percent from three, and he led Virginia Tech in scoring during ACC play.

Isaiah Elohim averaged 12.4 points at Florida Atlantic last season, and Tyler Johnson is back after an injury kept him out for most of conference play last season. It is a good group, and it was picked ninth in the ACC preseason poll, which tells you the league sees a middle of the pack team rather than a power.

Coppin State's returning numbers are modest, and there is no point pretending otherwise. Hussain Williams, the top returning scorer, averaged 7.3 points a game last season, and Jamari Piercy averaged 6.8. Both guards stand 6-foot-5, which at least gives the Eagles size in the backcourt.

Tafara Gapare, who played at Villanova last season and is on his fifth school, was named to the MEAC Preseason Watch List after averaging about 3 points a game in the Big East. Nelson Lamizana is the top returning post player, and he played just 17 games last season because of injury. Neither team has an injury report for this game. Coppin State tied for sixth in the MEAC preseason poll.

Key Factors

The favorite's defense is where a number this big gets fragile. Virginia Tech allowed 74.9 points a game last season and outscored teams by less than 4 points a game on average. That is a good team, not a lockdown team, and openers with new rotations rarely defend at midseason level for a full night. The schedule helps the underdog too. Virginia Tech hosts Mercer on Thursday, two days after this game, so a comfortable lead in the second half is a reason to empty the bench and manage minutes, not to chase a margin.

Coppin State's problem is scoring. The Eagles averaged 65.5 points a game, and Williams shot just 26.3 percent from three last season. If Virginia Tech extends its defense and turns Coppin State's guards over, the Eagles may not reach a total that makes 31.5 points of cushion matter. The cover case needs the opposite kind of night: a slower game, Gapare and Lamizana giving the frontcourt a real presence, and enough made shots early to keep the Hokies from settling into a rhythm.

The honest counterpoint is the history in this building. Virginia Tech has won the last two meetings by over 40 points, and the last one, in November 2023, ended 100-55 here. Coppin State allowed 80.4 points a game last season, the worst mark in its league, and a defense like that can turn a bad ten minutes into a blowout that never comes back.

If Hammond shoots the way he did in ACC play and Hansberry owns the glass early, this pick is in trouble by halftime. The case for the points is that openers are messy, the favorite defends loosely, and the last stretch of a decided game belongs to the bench.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.