Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Odds
| Georgia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4 -110 | 138.5 -115o / -105u | -180 |
| Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4 -110 | 138.5 -115o / -105u | +155 |
Friday night, the Yellow Jackets will make the short, 72-mile trip to Athens to take on the Bulldogs. The Jackets will have their first road game of the season after going 2-1 at home to start the campaign.
Meanwhile, head coach Tom Crean and the Bulldogs look to remain undefeated at home in this young season, suffering their only loss to Cincinnati on the road.
Many Casual fans may question why Georgia, an SEC team, is a four-point dog at home on Friday night. For starters, only one rotational player returns for Crean this year, while nine transferred in the offseason. And of those nine transfers, six of them were top scorers on last year's team, three of them moving to rival SEC schools. Only Texas A&M rivaled Georgia's offseason movement.
In more recent news, Crean said on Thursday that the team is facing non-covid related illness issues, and they could potentially limit some players in the Friday night game.
The contest will be the first meeting between Georgia Tech and Georgia since 2019, when Georgia won, 82-78. Last Season's game was canceled due to Covid-related scheduling issues and marked the first year they had not played since the 1923-24 season.
Both teams are 2-1 straight up and against the spread (ATS) so far this year, but Georgia Tech has played the more challenging competition, in my opinion.
Can Georgia defend their home-court in the revival of this long, storied rivalry? or will the Jackets be able to record their first win in Athens since the 13-14 season.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Head Coach Josh Pastner was faced with quite the challenge in the offseason needing to replace his two leading scorers in Moses Wright, the ACC player of the year, and Jose Alvarado.
Pastner quickly realized he could not replicate the output those two provided. Instead, other returning players would need to elevate to make up for the loss in points and assist the two provided for the team. The returning trio of Michael Devoe, Jordan Usher and Dallan Coleman was left to replace the production that Wright and Alvardo provided. And three games into the season, they seem to have taken that challenge in stride.
All three are averaging more than 23 minutes and 10 points per game, while Devoe leads the way with 34.7 minutes and 18 points per game. He's also been able to average five assists and 5.3 rebounds per game so far this season.
The Jackets have excelled in one area — shooting from distance. Georgia Tech is currently shooting 41% from 3-point range, however the team will be without Bubba Parham as he underwent surgery to fix a torn meniscus. Parham decided to return with his extra year of eligibility and is now out indefinitely.
Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are still working to establish their identity after bringing in 10 new players in the offseason. But like most teams, they have benefited from the NCAA's free year of eligibility.
Two super seniors transferred into the program that have made an immediate impact. Jaylin Ingram, who is averaging 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists this season, joins the team after five years at FAU, where he started 105 games for the Owls. And Aaron Cook, who is averaging 14 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, joined the Bulldogs after four years at SIU and one year at Gonzaga, but only started seven games over his past two years.
Georgia's biggest splash in the transfer portal was Braelen Bridges. He currently leads the team in points per game (16) and field goal percentage (66.7%).
Georgia has had wins over Florida International (58-51) and South Carolina State (76-60), with a road loss to Cincinnati (73-68) in between. The Bulldogs have been excellent on defense, limiting opponents to 44.1% in 2-point percentage and 30% outside the arc. They have struggled offensively so far, but I expect the bulldogs to find their rhythm as the season progresses.
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Betting Pick
Something that stands out to me is both clubs played Morehouse as an exhibition opponent, with the Yellow Jackets winning 89-52 in Atlanta, while Georgia won by just 15 in Athens, 64-49.
Georgia may have more new faces on the team, but losing two stars in Moses Wright and Jose Alvarado is a much more significant loss for Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs have depth at every position, while I feel Tech has to rely heavily on the trio of Devoe, Usher, and Coleman. And that depth will play a factor in what I expect to be a hard-fought rivalry game.
I got Georgia at the opener of +5.5, but I would bet it no lower than +4. If the line dips below that, wait to hit Georgia live as I expect Tech to come out strong, but the Georgia depth should prevail in the second half.
Pick: Georgia +4 or better
