Georgia Tech and Florida State will start their conference play Tuesday, December 15, when the Seminoles welcome the Yellow Jackets at Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida, so I’ve prepared the best betting pick and tips for this Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.
Florida State will search for its fifth straight win over Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets have won two games in a row against Kentucky and Nebraska, so the visitors will be fired up to continue with a good performance and stay on the winning path.
The Yellow Jackets had no mercy in their previous two showings
After a couple of disappointing losses to Georgia State 123-120 in quadruple overtime and Mercer 83-73 as 12-point home favorites, the Yellow Jackets upset Kentucky 79-62 as 6.5-point home dogs and beat Nebraska 75-64 as 3-point road favorites.
Georgia Tech is now 2-2 on the young season, ranking 72nd in the latest KenPom standings. The Yellow Jackets are 69th in the country in points scored per 100 possessions (106.0) and 80th in points allowed per 100 possessions (94.6).
They shoot 43.5% from the field (185th in the country) and 30.4% from downtown (227th) while handing out 15.3 assists per contest (93rd). Senior forward Moses Wright leads the way for Georgia Tech with 21.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, and five different guys average points in double figures.
The Seminoles had no problems to beat the Gators
The Florida State Seminoles are coming off an 83-71 victory over the Florida Gators as slight 1.5-point home favorites. They put on a strong performance on both sides of the ball and led by as many as 18 points. The Seminoles improved to 3-0 on the season while covering the spread twice in the process.
At the moment, Florida State is No. 15 in the KenPom rankings. The Seminoles are 25th in the country in points scored per 100 possessions (109.5) and 14th in points allowed per 100 possessions (88.5). They shoot 43.0% from the field (200th in the country) and 38.3% from beyond the arc (58th).
Senior guard M.J. Walker is the Seminoles’ leading scorer this season with 17.7 points per game. Freshman Scottie Barnes averages 11.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest, while sophomore big man Balsa Koprivica adds 10.3 points and 5.3 boards a night.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/florida_state” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Georgia Tech:
- 3-8 ATS in the last 11 games against Florida State
Florida State:
- 5-1 ATS in the last six games at home
- 7-2 ATS in the last nine games overall
The Winner Prediction
As I’ve mentioned, the Seminoles are undefeated in four straight matchups with the Yellow Jackets. Florida State is 9-2 straight up and 8-3 ATS in its last 11 meetings with Georgia Tech, and the Seminoles are riding a 26-game win streak on the home court.
The Yellow Jackets have been unpredictable thus far, beating the No. 20 Kentucky and losing to Mercer at home. They certainly stand a chance against their old foes, but I’m backing the Seminoles to win and cover.
Florida State’s stout defense will be a key factor in this matchup, and I don’t think the visitors will have enough offensive firepower to upset the odds. Also, the Seminoles’ offense looks pretty good, and the Yellow Jackets haven’t impressed defensively so far.
Pick: Take Florida State -7.5
The Total:
The under is 12-4 in the last 16 encounters between the Yellow Jackets and Seminoles including the previous three. I’ve said that Florida State’s defense is among the best in the country, and I expect to see another solid display in the conference play opener.
Furthermore, neither of these two teams prefers to play at a fast pace. I don’t expect to see a low line on DraftKings, so give me the under on the totals.
Pick: Go under 141