The Virginia Cavaliers battle the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this week in a game that will feature the ACC’s third-leading passer, Matt Johns (1,580 yards, 12 TDs). Virginia (2-5) and Georgia Tech (3-5) both enter this game desperate for a win to build around. The game kicks off Saturday, Oct 31 at 3:00 p.m. ET and will be shown on ESP3 and CHSS.
In last week’s matchup, Virginia lost to North Carolina 26-13. Charlie Hopkins had a quality performance in the loss, pulling in three receptions for 36 yards and one TD. Daniel Hamm put up 70 rushing yards on seven carries. Georgia Tech is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it defeated Florida State 22-16. Brad Stewart had a good performance for the Yellow Jackets, grabbing one reception for 36 yards.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the Cavaliers-Yellow Jackets game this week is unavailable currently, and Georgia Tech is a slender two-point favorite.
Sitting at 2-5 Straight Up (SU) and 3-4 Against The Spread (ATS), the Cavaliers will look to improve heading into Week 9. In their five most recent matchups, the Cavaliers went 2-3 for both SU and ATS. During their last five games, the Cavaliers have improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 236.4 passing yards.
Over on the other sideline, the Yellow Jackets head into Week 9 with records of 3-5 for both ATS and SU. Over their last five games, the Yellow Jackets have a SU and ATS record of 1-4 for those betting with them. Chances are Georgia Tech will continue to rely on its run game, where its 283.4 rushing yards per game ranks ninth in the nation. Over the last five games, the Yellow Jackets turned it up on defense, only allowing an average of 206.6 passing yards per game. The Yellow Jackets can do some damage if they take the ball away from the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers rank 117th in the country in turnovers with 2.4 per game. Virginia needs to keep its intensity through the fourth quarter against the Yellow Jackets, who average 9.5 points in the final 15 minutes of regulation. You probably won’t see much carelessness from Georgia Tech. With an average of only 3.2 per game, they earn the fewest penalties in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Georgia Tech, ATS Winner – Georgia Tech
Notes
Virginia is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Virginia’s last 6 games.
Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
Virginia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Virginia’s last 5 games at home.
Virginia is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Georgia Tech.
Virginia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Georgia Tech.
Virginia is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Virginia is 1-1 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
This season, Georgia Tech is 1-2 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and 2-3 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Virginia passing attack is ranked only 65th in the nation, while the Georgia Tech pass defense is ranked 37th. The Yellow Jackets passing game is ranked just 123rd, compared to the 93rd-ranked pass defense of the Cavaliers.
