Stanford Travels to Virginia Tech for Crucial ACC Road Opener

Momentum will be Stanford basketball’s biggest advantage going into Wednesday’s battle against Virginia Tech on the road. Now the question is: How impactful is playing on the road in college basketball. The simple answer? It’s tough.

Last season, the Cardinal went an abysmal 3-8 on the road last season. In the games on the east coast? 1-8. Stanford heavily struggles on the road, especially in ACC play, and this game could end up being an extension of the program's previous struggles.

Stanford, though, has had a solid start to the season, with tons of highs and lows. They're also coming off of their highest high, a win over then-ranked No. 16 Louisville. That was a resume-building win for sure. However, losses to Seattle, UNLV, and Notre Dame at home prove that they certainly have weaknesses, even at Maples.

Virginia Tech is at a similar level, but has slightly more quality wins and losses. The Hokies have beaten teams such as No. 21 Virginia (who Stanford will face on this road trip), Providence, Colorado State, South Carolina, and George Mason. They have lost to Wake Forest, VCU, and Stanford Bay Area rival Saint Mary’s.

The Hokies March Madness push is fueled by a strong roster, led by foreign born freshman Neoklis Avdalas, who took over the college basketball scene on opening night with his Luka Doncic-esque play.

He is putting up 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game this season. Interestingly enough, he isn’t even their top scorer. That honor goes to Amani Hansberry. The 6-foot-8 junior forward averages 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists a night.

Outside of those two, they only have a few dynamic players. One of them being Tobi Lawal, who has been dealing with a foot injury since late November. He is listed a probable on the ACC injury report. Virginia Tech has a lot of size, mostly in big guards and big men, and the Hokies have been proven to be tough to stop.

Stanford will have a tough matchup in front of them. While their guards do provide defensive stability, they are all undersized, which could give the Hokies the upper edge in a game like this. The big men, though, match up well on both sides.

Stanford is going to have to play tough defense, keep Virginia Tech’s guards out of the paint, and make sure to stop or at least slow down Avdalas. If they can achieve that, the Cardinal will have an opportunity to succeed, but if they can’t, they may be overmatched in this one.

Virginia Tech will likely be a heavy favorite, though no line has been released yet. They have a 65.5% chance to win per ESPN. That said, Virginia Tech ranks No. 57 in the NET ratings, while Stanford is back at No. 75. This could be a potentially huge game for the Cardinal if they can pull off another upset.

We'll take the Hokies to win 83-73 over the Cardinal. Virginia Tech matches up well with Stanford, especially in the guard play, and should get the win despite less having momentum. Until Stanford can prove that they can play with some consistency on the road, it’s almost impossible to pick them to win an away game against an ACC opponent.