Virginia Tech vs. Miami: CFB Picks, Predictions for DFS

September 26, 2024

September 26, 2024

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball during aa CFB game against Ball State on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Miami QB Cam Ward is a top CFB DFS pick for Virginia Tech vs Miami on Friday night. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)

In Week 5 of the college football season, we get an ACC Friday night football matchup between Virginia Tech and Miami. Led by QB Cam Ward, Miami has looked great to start the year, and now the Hurricanes get their first conference matchup against Virginia Tech to show they are the team to beat in the ACC.

Below, we'll break down four of the top CFB DFS picks for this Virginia Tech vs. Miami showdown between two ACC Championship hopefuls. 

On the PrizePicks CFB board, you can see all the player projections for this game, including passing, rushing, and receiving yards, plus much more. Lock in a lineup to get real money action on the game.

Virginia Tech vs. Miami Picks: CFB DFS

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Virginia Tech vs. No. 7 Miami: Time, TV, Location

Date: Friday, September 27, 2024

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff

Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. Flor.

TV: ESPN

Miami has charged up the college Top 25 Poll and come into this game as the No. 7 team in the country. The Hurricanes have wrecked their opponents, winning by an average margin of 43 points.

A lot of credit goes to their quarterback Cam Ward, who has surged to become the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Behind Ward, Miami’s offense is No. 1 overall in Expected Points Added (EPA) and has shown no signs of slowing down.

It’s not a great start for Virginia Tech, which was looking to elevate after finishing last season at over .500 for the first time since 2020. The Hokies have had no problem handling business against Group of Five teams Old Dominion and Marshall, but dropped both games against Power Four schools Rutgers and Vanderbilt.

On paper, Miami dominates this game in every dimension, and the Hurricanes should roll here to continue their climb up the rankings.

Miami QB Cam Ward 349.5 Pass Yards — MORE (Demon Pick)

The Tyler Van Dyke experiment did not go as well for Miami as some predicted, so it was time to try something new. Mario Cristobal entered the transfer portal and grabbed someone to revitalize this program — that was Cam Ward.

Ward has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, as he leads the country with 14 passing touchdowns and he’s second with 1,439 passing yards.

This will be his first decent test of the season, as he’s faced three FBS teams outside of the top 90 in passing yards allowed.

Virginia Tech is not a dominant defense by any means though. This will be the first offense they face in the top 80 in terms of passing yards per game. 

The best team they faced was Rutgers, which was 84th in passing yards (215.3), and that was a loss. Rutgers QB threw for 269 yards on 25 attempts. Against Vanderbilt, the Hokies gave up a massive 11.9 yards per pass attempt.

Ward should be able to pick apart the Hokies with another impressive performance.

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Virginia Tech QB Kyron Drones 163.5 Pass Yards — LESS

The Hokies were hoping QB Kyron Drones would come into the 2024 season as a better passer, but that hasn’t happened. He only has a 59.8% completion rate with a 4/3 TD/INT ratio.

While the passing isn’t there, he can move the ball with his legs, as he has four yards per carry and two rushing touchdowns.

Drones could have a problem in both facets of his game in this matchup. Miami has looked great this season, as their 92.0 PFF defensive grade is third, and their run defense is fifth (92.1), same with the coverage (92.0). This defensive front looks fantastic early on, with the most sacks (16) and the eighth-most tackles for loss (34). 

They’ll be flushing Drones out of the pocket, and he’ll likely be running for his life all night. He’s already missed this passing yards number twice this year, against much worse defenses. Don’t expect him to have success in the air here.

Virginia Tech WR Jaylin Lane 43.5 Receiving Yards — MORE

The one thing Virginia Tech has been able to do is put up points in the second half. They scored 17 in the second half against Vanderbilt to force overtime and 14 in the fourth quarter against Rutgers.

This game could get out of hand by halftime, so the Hokies might be padding stats in the final 30 minutes. 

Miami has been prone to giving up big plays this season; USF had three plays of 25+ yards, and they’ve allowed 41 plays of 10+ yards. Lane has lined up in the slot in 86.2% of his snaps, so he will see Daryl Porter Jr., who has only a 55.8 PFF coverage grade. Porter has allowed 11 catches out of 16 targets and 101 yards after the catch, boding well for Lane.

Lane’s low 8.2 yard average depth of target should make it easier for Drones to get the ball out despite the Hurricanes’ pressure. Lane should be the go-to when the Hokies air it out.

Miami WR Xavier Restrepo 90.5 Receiving Yards — MORE

Restrepo was Van Dyke’s most trusted receiver last year, and they carried that over for Ward as he leads the team with 14 catches, 263 yards, and four touchdowns. He also leads in targets and opportunities. 

Last week, VT allowed two receivers to get over 90 yards. If Miami is going to do it here, it will be with Restrepo.

Just because the Hurricanes could get up a lot doesn’t mean they will take their foot off the gas. The loss to Georgia Tech last year will not be forgotten where they eased up, and it cost them.

After a disappointing first two years in the Mario Cristobal era, Miami is ready to show that “The U’ is back. They will try to get up early to coast to easy win to start conference play.

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There’s nothing better than capping off the week with some college football. On Friday night, we get a treat, as Heisman-favorite Cam Ward takes center stage in his first ACC matchup. 

The college football season is still early, but there’s plenty of ways to get real money action on the players you love on PrizePicks. Just pick more or less on at least two player projections like the ones above, lock in your lineup, and win up to 100x your money.

Follow John Supowitz for more CFB Picks: @ImThatSupi

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