College football betting heats up in Week 2 with ACC action hitting the boards, including a matchup between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a year where they went 3-9 as they adjusted to an offensive overhaul. The Seminoles didn't perform a whole lot better, going 6-6 and firing head coach Willie Taggart with a month left in the regular season. The 'Noles have much higher expectations for 2020 and have been installed as 12.5-point favorites for their season opener.
We break down the college football odds and bring you our free picks and predictions for Georgia Tech vs Florida State on Saturday, September 12 (3:30 p.m. ET).
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs Florida State Seminoles betting preview
Weather
It's expected to be a hot day at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, with the temperatures reaching the low-90s (feeling in the 100s with humidity at kickoff) and a 30 percent chance of rain. Winds are expected to be around 13 mph. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Injuries
Georgia Tech: None
Florida State: Hamsah Nasirildeen DB (Out), DJ Matthews WR (questionable), Chubba Purdy QB (out), Zane Herring OT (out), Jordan Wilson TE (out), Jamarcus Chatman DE (out)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Under is 5-1 in the Seminoles last 6 home games. Get the latest NCAA football betting trends for Georgia Tech vs Florida State.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
Florida State is 0-5-2 ATS in the last seven games in the head-to-head between these schools, but they didn't meet up last year when Georgia Tech began its rebuild and went just 3-9 ATS. This isn't any rebuild either, with the Yellow Jackets having to completely change their offensive gameplan from the flexbone triple-option to a spread offense.
That means not only do the coaches have to change their offensive philosophy and teach a new playbook, but they also need to bring in players who are a better fit for a modern passing system. One season isn't enough to do that, so expect the Georgia Tech offense to continue struggling in Year 2 of their rebuild as they continue to find their footing.
The Seminoles will also be undergoing some changes on offense as Mike Norvell takes over as head coach following a 12-1 season at Memphis where the Tigers averaged 40.5 points per game. However, FSU should have a much easier transition, especially when they already have parts that fit, like returning passer James Blackman and Tamorrion Terry who might be the top wideout in the conference.
The Seminoles biggest problem on offense last year was their offensive line which allowed a whopping 48 sacks but that's a weakness that Georgia Tech won't be able to exploit. The Yellow Jackets pass rush got to opposing QBs just 17 times in 2019. Look for Blackmon to stay upright long enough for FSU to cover this spread.
PREDICTION: Florida State -12.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
Florida State finished just 71st in the country in scoring defense last year but they have plenty of talent and return 10 of 11 starters. Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson could be the best defensive lineman in the country, cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. was a first-team All-ACC selection, and safety Hamsah Nasirildeen was a second-team All-ACC after leading the 'Noles in tackles.
Georgia Tech finds itself in a similar situation, retaining almost their entire defensive rotation from a stop-unit that under-achieved in 2019. Both these defenses have the experience and talent to perform much better than they did last season, and that combined with two offenses still looking to establish their new identities has us leaning to the Under.
PREDICTION: Under 54.5 (-110)
Team Prop
The Yellow Jackets finished last season outside the Top-120 schools in the country when it came to scoring (16.7 ppg), total offense (286.5 yards per game), third-down conversions and red-zone efficiency. To say they were really, really bad on offense would be an understatement.
While they should make incremental progress this season, they still have question marks at the most important position. Redshirt sophomore James Graham is the incumbent passer but he completed just 45.1 percent of his passes as the starter last year.
Georgia Tech's line won't make things easier for him, as they were one of the worst units in the league last year when it came to pass blocking. They will likely get dominated at the point of attack against a powerful and experienced FSU D-line. Take the Under on the Yellow Jackets team total.
PREDICTION: Team Total Georgia Tech Under 20.5 (-120)
Georgia Tech vs Florida State betting card
- Florida State -12.5 (-110)
- Under 54.5 (-110)
- Team Total Georgia Tech Under 20.5 (-120)
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