College Football Picks: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will look to bounce back from a bad loss in the ACC with another matchup in the Coastal Division against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium. Saturday’s contest is set to kickoff at 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

Georgia Tech’s stay in the AP Top 25 was brief after last Saturday’s stunning 31-25 loss to Duke as a 3.5-point home favorite. The Yellow Jackets had won their first five games of the season straight up, and they are 3-3 against the spread after this loss. The total stayed “under” the 58.5-point closing line against the Blue Devils, and it has stayed under in Tech's last three games.

The Tar Heels gave Notre Dame a run for its money their last time out in a wild 50-43 loss as 16.5-point road underdogs. It was their fourth loss in a row to drop to 2-4 overall. This was also the first time this season that North Carolina covered the spread in its first six games. The total went “over” the 62.5-point line, and it has now gone over in three of UNC's last four games.

Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina Betting Storylines

One of the biggest reasons for Georgia Tech’s success this season has been a rushing offense that is churning out an average of 294.7 yards per game. Through the first seven weeks of the college football season, this remains the eighth-highest average in the country. The concern has been on the other side of the ball, with a defense that is ranked 64th in points allowed (25.0).

Quarterback Justin Thomas has thrown for only 724 yards and seven touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets this season, but he is also the team’s leading rusher with 589 yards on 93 carries. The other main workhorse out of the backfield has been Zach Laskey. He has rushed the ball 105 times for 521 yards and three scores for an average of five yards per carry.

North Carolina has been able to move the ball through the air this season with a passing game that is ranked 30th in the nation in average yards per game (285.0).

The main man behind all this production has been quarterback Marquise Williams, who is also a dual threat with his legs. He has thrown for 1,386 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 60.5 percent of his 195 attempts. He has also racked up a team-high 375 yards on the ground and three scores on 75 carries.

This is another team that has had its issues stopping opponents on defense. The Tar Heels are one of the worst teams in Division IA in points allowed, currently giving up an average of 43.3 points per game, which is a major problem if you are only averaging 37.2 PPG on offense. During the current four-game slide, this unit has given up 50 points or more three times.

Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina Betting Odds and Trends by Doc’s Sports

Point Spread: Georgia Tech -2.5

Total Line: OFF

The betting trends on Covers have the Yellow Jackets going just 5-10-1 ATS in their last 16 games and 2-3-1 ATS in their last six games on the road. The total has gone over in 10 of their last 15 games.

The Tar Heels are 19-6 SU in their last 25 home games but just 1-4 ATS in their last five games played at home. The total has stayed under in four of their last five home games in ACC play.

Head-to-head in this matchup, Georgia Tech has won the last five meetings both SU and ATS, with the total staying under in four of the last six meetings in North Carolina.

College Football Picks: Georgia Tech vs. North Carolina Betting Predictions

Georgia Tech needs a convincing win on Saturday to recapture the attention of the national polls and keep pace in the race for the ACC Coastal Division title. This is a much better team than what we saw last Saturday against Duke, and that will be reflected in a win that easily covers the 2.5-point spread.

Take: # 329 Georgia Tech (-2.5) over North Carolina- 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18