All you need to know about the biggest stories in sports and how to bet on them, sent straight to your inbox.
Sent twice weekly so you can stay on top of what’s good in sports.
The No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies will host the unranked NC State Wolfpack on Sunday in a game of teams looking to prove themselves before March Madness. It's time to determine which — if either — are worth trusting in your bracket.
The game will air on ESPN2 at 4 pm ET.
What happened to Virginia Tech?
The Hokies are one of the best teams in the country (two spots higher than their preseason ranking) but through injuries, the team still leaves a lot to be desired. With All-American point guard Ashley Owusu appearing in just 14 games (five of which she played less than 10 minutes in), they've looked to Georgia Amoore and Taylor Soule for extra contributions surrounding standout center Elizabeth Kitley.
It's worked mostly, with the Hokies firing off back-to-back wins over a then-ranked NC State (No. 22) and No. 19 Florida in early Feb. VT also has a win against No. 13 North Carolina on their resume, but they've fallen to No. 16 Duke, No. 5 Notre Dame, and unranked Miami and Clemson.
In conclusion: Tech is having a good season. If a good season can be trusted in March is a different question.
ESPN Bracketology projects: No. 3 seed
What's going wrong with NC State?
This isn't what Wolfpack fans were hoping for. The preseason No. 10 team fell out of the rankings entirely this week after dropping three out of their last four games, two of which came against unranked Georgia Tech and unranked Virginia. That's a bummer from a program that reached last year's Elite Eight.
Losing four starters is tough.
In conclusion: The same team that beat No. 10 Iowa and No. 7 Notre Dame has dropped games to to No. 5 UConn by 22 points, unranked FSU by 19 points and unranked Virginia by 12 points. It's an odd season!
ESPN Bracketology projects: No. 7 seed
Elizabeth Kitley is the WNBA prospect to watch
Aside from the Madness of it all, this game will feature WNBA draft hopefuls.
Kitley's been as a high as the No. 6 pick on some mock drafts, and ranges to the second round, but it's clear she's widely viewed as a pro player, and for good reason.
A tough interior scorer, the 6-foot-6 center is averaging 18 points per game with 10.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in a tough ACC conference.
How to watch Virginia Tech vs. NC State
Where: Blacksburg, Virginia
When: Sunday, Feb. 19
Time: 4 pm ET
Channel: ESPN2
How to bet on the Hokies or Tigers
Game lines are not available yet, but futures odds for the NCAA championship are.
Virginia Tech's championship odds are +8000 (bet $10 to win $800)
NC State's championship odds are not listed.
