Belk Bowl: Kentucky vs. Virginia Tech preview and pick

Kentucky Wildcats running back Christopher Rodriguez Jr. and quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr. celebrate. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

Ashley Anderson

December 27th, 2019

The Kentucky Wildcats and Virginia Tech Hokies endured similar storylines throughout the 2019 season and will come to a head in the Belk Bowl on December 31 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Virginia Tech Hokies odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total

Kentucky	+2.5	+110	O 46.5
Virginia Tech	-2.5	-135	U 46.5

The 7-5 Wildcats experienced a late surge in 2019 after receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. assumed starting quarterback duties in place of an injured Terry Wilson Jr. and Sawyer Smith.

Virginia Tech also benefited from a change at QB and transformed a 2-2 team into a dominant force in the ACC. Sophomore Hendon Hooker registered a 42-35 win against Miami in his first start in Week 6 and guided the Hokies to a 6-2 mark from there.

Let’s talk about this Hendon Hooker throw.

Late in the fourth quarter, on the road, against a surging Miami team. Hooker hits Hazelton on the money with a perfectly placed pass.

Extremely difficult throw and he makes it look easy. In his first start during clutch time, no less. pic.twitter.com/PHqWPoVIIV
— Matej Sis (@MatejS247) October 7, 2019

Virginia Tech has plenty of weapons on offense

The Virginia Tech offense relied on Hooker’s arm and a corps of receivers that included sophomore Tre Turner (542 yards, four TDs), junior Damon Hazelton (506 yards, seven TDs) and freshman Tayvion Robinson (29 catches, 386 yards). Junior Deshawn McClease led the ground game with 717 yards and six scores in the regular season.

The Wildcats love to get out and run

Kentucky, meanwhile, altered its approach with Bowden at the helm and morphed into a run-first offense that ranked sixth nationally in rushing yardage (257.7 YPG). The Wildcats hardly pass the ball and put up just 126.2 yards per game through the air, the fifth-lowest average of 130 FBS teams.

Bowden is the only player in college football to lead his team in rushing (1,235 yards) and receiving (348 yards), but he isn’t the most accurate thrower. The Hokies defense ranks 28th against the run (129.4 opponent rushing YPG), so Bowden might be forced to move the ball through the air if Virginia Tech can stop him and his arsenal of running backs, Asim Rose (757 yards, six TDs), Kavosiey Smoke (609 yards, six TDs) and Christopher Rodriguez Jr. (515 yards, five TDs).

Breaking: Lynn Bowden has won the Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the most versatile player in college football.

1,235 rushing yards
11 Rushing TDs
330 Passing Yards
2 Passing TDs
348 Receiving Yards
1 Receiving TD
200 Kickoff Return Yards
53 Punt Return Yards#BBN pic.twitter.com/6zKRHxhuK9
— CatsCoverage.com (@Cats_Coverage) December 11, 2019

The Cats’ defense is far more potent against the pass, which could cause Hooker issues. The Wildcats are fourth in opponent passing yards per game (168.7) but 69th in opponent rushing yardage (166.2) and surrender 19.5 points per contest, 14th in the FBS.

The Hokies give up 25.0 points per outing but average more points on offense (31.3) than Kentucky (24.2).

Kentucky has been a sure bet against the spread

The Wildcats are 6-0 against the spread in their last six non-conference matchups, 4-0 ATS versus teams with a winning record, and 6-1 ATS in their past seven games overall. The Hokies are 5-1 ATS in the last six games overall but just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games as a favorite.

The under is also 4-0 in Virginia Tech’s past four non-conference games and 4-1 in its last five games overall. The under is 4-0 in UK’s last four games as an underdog and 4-1 in its last five bowl games.

Pick: Kentucky +2.5, Under 46.5

College bowl season starts December 20 and goes through the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 13. Find all the lines on a full slate of 40 college bowl games at BetAmerica!

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