The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Vanderbilt Commodores meet Friday in Birmingham Bowl college football action from Protective Stadium. Here’s a Vanderbilt vs Georgia Tech prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Vanderbilt vs Georgia Tech pick.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Preview
The Yellow Jackets won five of their first seven games this year, taking out Florida State, Georgia State, VMI, Duke and North Carolina. The last five games were a 2-3 run however, as Georgia Tech fell to Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Georgia.
In their November 29 showdown with Georgia, the Yellow Jackets took part in one of the most epic duels in recent memory. Georgia Tech eventually came out on the losing end after a whopping eight overtimes 44-42, though. QB Haynes King finished with 303 yards and two pass scores while also leading the rush with 110 yards and three scores off 24 totes.
Vanderbilt Commodores Betting Preview
Over on the Vanderbilt side, they beat Virginia Tech, Alcorn State, Alabama, Kentucky, Ball State, and Auburn over their first nine games. The Commodores would end the regular season on a skid however, falling to South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee in the final trio.
Back on November 30 versus Tennessee, the Commodores blew an early 17-7 lead and didn’t score again until the fourth quarter in a 36-23 loss. QB Diego Pavia managed 104 yards with a TD and a pick. Leading rusher Sedrick Alexander finished with 17 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Why the Vanderbilt Commodores will win
- Georgia Tech has lost each of its last 10 games against opponents from the Southeastern Conference.
- The underdog has won three of Georgia Tech’s last four Bowl games.
- Georgia Tech has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four games after coming off overtime.
- Vanderbilt has covered the spread in eight of its last 10 games as an underdog.
- Georgia Tech has lost the first half in eight of its last nine games against opponents from the Southeastern Conference.
Why the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will win
- Vanderbilt has lost four of its last five games.
- Georgia Tech has won four of its last five games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Georgia Tech has covered the spread in five of its last six games against non-conference opponents.
- Vanderbilt has failed to cover the spread in five of its last six games against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Georgia Tech has won the first quarter in each of its last four games against non-conference opponents.
- Vanderbilt has lost the first half in four of its last five games against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Georgia Tech’s last seven December games against non-AP-ranked teams has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Thirteen of Vanderbilt’s last 14 games against non-conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Vanderbilt ranks T8th among FBS teams for red zone percentage this season (92.5).
- Vanderbilt ranks 123rd among FBS teams for yards per game this season (319.4).
- Georgia Tech ranks T117th among FBS teams for interceptions this season (5).
- Georgia Tech ranks 114th among FBS teams for Q3 points per game this season (4.0).
Vanderbilt vs Georgia Tech Prediction
I’ll stay with Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ regular season finished on the downer of all downers with the tough loss to Georgia, and it’s going to take some work to restore their spirits for this one. That said, Georgia Tech hung 563 yards (303 passing) and 28 first downs on one of the best teams in the country and should be proud of the effort—at least in some capacity. The Jackets have posted 28 or more points in three straight outings, helping lift their average to 28.4 points per game.
As for Vanderbilt, they faded after some early success in the Tennessee game, eventually posting just 212 yards and 15 first downs. The Commodores have had issues putting points up lately; they’ve been below 25 points in seven straight. Vanderbilt still averages 26.8 points per game overall, but a lot of that was much earlier in the season. All things considered here, I like Georgia Tech to rebound and post a nice cover effort in the bowl outing.