The time is here for Virginia Tech’s opening-round game against the Texas Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies head into Friday’s East Region game with plenty of momentum, winning 13 of their last 15 games, including four in a row last week, to win the first ACC Tournament in school history.

Can the Hokies keep that positive momentum against the Longhorns? A quick look at Texas, and you’ll see the Longhorns have lost three consecutive games entering the tournament. You should probably ignore that statistic. It does not matter now. Neither does Tech’s historical performance in the ACC Tournament.

As everyone filled out their brackets this week, they watched ESPN and listened to Jay Bilas and Seth Greenberg to find out who were the hot teams. Or searched for schools they’d never heard of on Google. It’s that time of the year. It’s March. Forget about what happened from November through conference tournament season.

However, you have to like the Hokies as an upset pick. Virginia Tech was seeded ridiculously low at No. 11, while Texas likely overseeded at No. 6. It’s not a matchup Texas coach Chris Beard probably wanted in the opening round. Texas and Virginia Tech are similar in some aspects, as both feature three guards in the opening lineup, play outstanding defense and are veteran-laden teams. Those things create a recipe for success in March. So, whether Virginia Tech or Texas wins, both could be poised for a long run in the NCAA Tournament.

So, who is going to win? According to DraftKings, the Longhorns are 1-point favorites over the Hokies Friday. The over/under is set at 123.5, indicating oddsmakers expect a strong defensive game.

Read our full game preview here.

How to watch

Date: Friday, March 18, 2022

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

TV: TBS

Streaming: NCAA.com, March Madness Live

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