Georgia vs. Georgia Tech Odds
| Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -104 | 132.5 -108o / -112u | +126 |
| Georgia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -118 | 132.5 -108o / -112u | -152 |
The rivalry between Georgia Tech and Georgia on the football field has a rich tradition, spawning one of college sport's best rivalry game names: Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.
The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets' gridiron rivalry dates back to the 19th century, with a history so deep that the two schools can't even agree on how many times they've played the game.
On the basketball court, both schools are a little less known for success, yet they still bring plenty of energy to this annual meeting. This will mark the 198th time the two schools have dueled in men's basketball, though this meeting lacks a little bit of juice.
Georgia and Tech are both hovering at or near the bottom of their respective conferences, with neither having beaten a team ranked higher than 223rd by KenPom (and Georgia barely survived that game against Bucknell).
That will change Saturday, with one of the two teams collecting its best win of the season to date, over a hated rival.
Who has the upper hand in this year's matchup of the Bulldogs and Jackets?
Georgia Bulldogs
It's hard to understand what has happen to the Bulldogs' basketball program. The athletic department has more money than God, the school is located in a basketball-rich state and the SEC as a whole has gotten better on the hardwood in recent years.
Yet Georgia seems to have left basketball behind.
The Bulldogs haven't won an NCAA tournament game since Jarvis Hayes was on campus back in 2002.
The Tom Crean era ended with Georgia losing 20 of its last 21 games last season. Crean was replaced by former Florida head coach Mike White, which was an odd choice. White was on the verge of losing his job in Gainesville, so Georgia swooped in to hire the failed coach of a conference rival.
White takes over, trying to build a competitive roster via the transfer portal. He signed on a series of mid-major transfers elevating to the power-conference level — from schools like Longwood, North Texas and Bradley.
It's Bradley transfer and former JUCO star Terry Roberts that has looked the most ready for primetime. After scoring 14.5 points per game in the Missouri Valley Conference last year, Roberts leads the Bulldogs in both points and assists so far this year.
He missed Georgia's last game with an illness, so his status needs to be monitored Saturday.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Josh Pastner's roster is built around three players in their second year with the Yellow Jackets' program.
Mississippi State transfer Deivon Smith is a creator off the dribble, sparking the Tech offense with penetration. Sophomores Miles Kelly and Dallan Coleman have elevated their games from smaller roles last season to leading the Jackets in scoring this year.
That trio in the backcourt has made Georgia Tech competitive on the defensive end and decisive on the offensive end.
The Yellow Jackets, however, have struggled shooting the ball, managing the 319th-ranked effective field goal percentage in the nation due in large part to sub-30% outside shooting.
Tech's biggest issues have come on the glass. A lack of size and frontcourt experience has made for major rebounding issues in Atlanta. Only 13 teams in college basketball have allowed opponents to nab more of their misses than the Jackets.
Every Tech opponent has grabbed at least eight offensive rebounds, with Iowa feasting for 19 boards that set up extra possessions.
Georgia vs. Georgia Tech Betting Pick
That rebounding issue is a key item to watch in this game. White has been very comfortable sending his guys to the offensive glass this season. The Bulldogs rank ninth in the country, grabbing over 38% of their own misses.
Pastner's Yellow Jackets will try to make up for that possession deficit by forcing turnovers, since Georgia averages almost 16 cough-ups per game.
It feels risky to bet against that rebounding advantage, but I'm leaning towards Tech.
Pastner is the better coach, the Jackets are playing at home and Georgia has not proven itself against power-conference level opponents this season. The Bulldogs have played two teams in KenPom top 200 and lost both games by double-digits.
If Tech can just survive the discrepancy on the glass, it should get the win.
Pick: Georgia Tech -3 (Play to -4.5) |
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