Florida State Seminoles vs Virginia Tech Hokies Point Spread Picks

This is a lot of points for Florida State to be laying considering the Seminoles are behind underdog Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. This is not the Florida State that upset Alabama in its opener. The Seminoles are only 1-5 SU/ATS against ACC opponents. Florida State doesn't lack talent. The Seminoles have good statistical numbers—they just don't know how to win. Virginia Tech opened 0-3 and then fired its coach, Brent Pry. The Hokies have gone 3-3 since then. They have experience against Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos, having defeated Boston College, 42-21, last year when Castellanos was the Eagles' quarterback. Virginia Tech ranks 21st in rushing, and the strength of its defense is stopping the run. Florida State has the 11th-best rush attack in the nation, averaging nearly 227 yards per game. However, that number drops to a much more modest 139 rushing yards during the past five games. Take Virginia Tech. 

Virginia Tech has a losing record with no offensive balance. The ground game is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry and two quarterbacks have been sacked 12 times. QB Grant Wells has missed the last three games (ankle injury) and is questionable again. Sophomore QB Kyron Drones has been forced to step in and the two signal callers have combined to complete 55.1% of their passes. Virginia Tech is 3-11 ATS after playing a home game. No. 5 Florida State has a dynamite offense behind QB Jordan Travis (10 TDs, one pick), fifth in the nation in scoring (43.3 points per game). The Seminoles are 26-13 ATS at home versus losing teams, plus 9-1 ATS off an ACC victory. Play Florida State. 

Virginia Tech thought they had a national championship caliber team coming into the season. Those hopes were quickly dispatched in game one with a three point loss to Boise State. That loss hit them hard. They then were no-shows at home losing to James Madison. This is a team that could of easily mailed in the rest of the season, but with Frank Beamer on the sidelines you knew that was out of the question. The Hokies proceeded to run the table in their remaining ten games to land a spot in the ACC Championship game. They won nine of the ten by double-digits, with the closest game a 7-point win vs. Georgia Tech. The Seminoles were exposed early in a 30-point loss to Oklahoma. They lost back-to-back games vs. Carolina and NC State, and had a close call with Clemson prevailing by just 3 points. The Hokies are the better team and they are the choice here as they have dominated in conference with a 39-15 ATS mark in their last 54 (Big East included). They have gone 14-3 ATS in their last 17 as a favorite. Under Beamer, this team is 35-14 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. The Hokies have been on a mission since those back-to-back losses and I think it continues here. I like Virginia Tech in this one.