Pittsburgh vs. Georgia Tech Predictions, Odds

• December 10, 2020
• By Jonathan Willis
• VegasInsider.com

The Pittsburgh Panthers can finish the 2020 campaign with a winning record when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday night.

This game was originally supposed to be played on Saturday, Nov. 14, but it was called off due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Georgia Tech’s program. That led to the Yellow Jackets’ game with Miami the following week being postponed as well, so this is the penultimate game of Georgia Tech’s 2020 season.

BETTING RESOURCES

• Week 15 Matchup: ACC
• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Venue: Bobby Dodd Stadium
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Date: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN3
• Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All

Pittsburgh-Georgia Tech Betting Odds

Line Movements

• Spread: Pittsburgh -6.5
• Money-Line: Pittsburgh -250 Georgia Tech +195
• Total: 53.5

Odds Subject to Change

How to Handicap Pittsburgh vs. Georgia Tech

Pittsburgh didn’t cover a game against an FBS opponent until November. The Panthers easily covered the number in a 55-0 blowout of FCS Austin Peay in their season opener, but they went 0-5-1 ATS in their first six games against FBS foes.

That changed on Nov. 7 when Pittsburgh blew out Florida State 41-17 as a -1.5-point favorite. They were an even more impressive against Virginia Tech in their next game, crushing the Hokies 47-14 as a touchdown underdog.

Pitt’s performance in those two games led to the Panthers being ‘just’ a +24-point underdog against Clemson, and the Tigers easily dispatched of them 52-17. The Panthers haven’t played an UNDER game since September. Pittsburgh’s offense has been better than expected at times while the defense has struggled against top tier teams, leading to the Panthers’ last seven games going over the total.

Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi looks to have his team above .500 with a win against Georgia Tech. (AP Images)

Georgia Tech has largely been a barometer team in the ACC this season. The Yellow Jackets’ three victories have all come against teams with worse conference records.

They upended Florida State 16-13 as a two-touchdown underdog in their season opener, and they hammered Louisville and Duke despite being an underdog in both those games. Georgia Tech is just 1-4 ATS against teams that are .500 or better, though.

Betting Analysis – Pittsburgh Panthers

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• 2020: 5-5 SU, 3-6-1 ATS, 8-2 O/U

Kenny Pickett hasn’t had the career Pitt fans were expecting after a promising start. He has only marginally improved from where he was as a freshman over the course of his four years on campus.

Pickett is coming off a four- interception performance against Clemson two weeks ago where he was sacked six times. He is completing 62.4% of his passes for 7.4 YPA on the season, and he has thrown two touchdown passes in three of his last four games.

Pittsburgh’s run game has not been good this year. The Panthers are averaging just 2.9 YPC and 95.8 YPG as a team. Vincent Davis has 385 yards (3.3 YPC) and five touchdowns as the team’s top running back, and he has only run for over 4.0 YPC in one of his ten starts. A.J. Davis is a little more effective (4.7 YPC), and he has ripped off some nice runs over Pitt’s last three games.

D.J. Turner had monster games against North Carolina State and Virginia Tech, but he has not made much of an impact as a receiver in Pittsburgh’s other eight games. Freshman Jordan Addison is the leading receiver for the Panthers with 57 receptions for 652 yards and four touchdowns. Taysir Mack and Shocky Jacques-Louis will see some passes, but neither player has made a large impact.

The Panthers are 26 th in defensive SP+ this season. They have one of the best run defenses in the nation, allowing 2.8 YPC and 103.3 YPG on the ground. Rashad Weaver is one of the most talented defensive linemen in the conference with 7.5 sacks, but he announced that he was leaving the program to prepare for the NFL on Tuesday.

Betting Analysis - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

• 2020: 3-6 S/U, 4-5 ATS, 6-3 O/U

Geoff Collins is ahead of schedule at Georgia Tech. It’s a tall task to bring an option offense into the modern age, but he has made the Yellow Jackets competitive in each of his first two seasons. Collins appears to have his quarterback of the future in Jeff Sims, and this season has been largely about his development as a true freshman.

Sims is completing 54.9% of his passes for 7.3 YPA with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The turnovers aren’t great, but he is the best passer on the roster, and it’s been a trial by fire in 2020. Sims is also leading the team with 478 rushing yards (4.3 YPC) and five touchdowns.

Fellow freshman Jahmyr Gibbs was considered the second-best all-purpose running back in the nation coming out of high school according to Rivals. Bringing a talented player like Gibbs to Atlanta showed how Georgia Tech can be a draw for top recruits, and he has shined. Gibbs is second on the team in rushing (460 yards, 5.2 YPR) and receiving (303 yards, 12.6 YPR).

Jalen Camp is the Yellow Jackets’ leading receiver with 24 receptions for 342 yards and three touchdowns. Adonicas Sanders is coming off the best game of his career with seven receptions for 105 yards against NC State.

Georgia Tech’s defense ranks outside the top 100 in scoring defense (37.1 PPG) and total defense (453.3 YPG). The Yellow Jackets have a subpar secondary that is allowing 7.8 YPA with 278.3 YPG, and these defensive backs aren’t aggressive either with just five interceptions.

Historically Speaking

Head-to-Head

Pittsburgh has won four of the last five games in this series. The Panthers haven’t won any of those games by more than 10 points though, and three of their wins were by five points or less.

Last Meeting

The Panthers nearly doubled up the Yellow Jackets in terms of yards when these teams met in Atlanta last year. That led to a 20-10 Pittsburgh win despite three turnovers. Georgia Tech couldn’t do much in its first year transitioning out of the option and finished with 194 yards.

Notable Betting Trends

-- Pittsburgh has gone OVER the point total in seven straight games.

-- Georgia Tech has gone OVER in six of its last seven home games when playing as the underdog.

-- The road team has covered the spread in five of the last seven games played between both schools.

Pittsburgh-Georgia Tech Predictions

• Score Prediction: Pittsburgh 23 Georgia Tech 20
• Best Bet: UNDER

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