Two teams that were the center of massive upsets all season long finish their respective season in the Birmingham Bowl against one another.
Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt face off in a game that will tie a bow on two of the overachieving teams of this season. While both teams had underdog mindsets for much of this season, who will have the edge in a closely lined bowl game?
Here’s our betting preview.
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Odds, Spread and Total
Spread
- Georgia Tech: -2.5 (-110)
- Vanderbilt: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Georgia Tech: -130
- Vanderbilt: +108
Total: 51.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt How to Watch
- Date: Friday, December 27th
- Game Time: 3:30 PM EST
- Venue: Protective Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Georgia Tech Record: 7-5
- Vanderbilt Record: 6-6
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Key Players to Watch
Georgia Tech
Haynes King: King has played through a shoulder injury over the back half of the calendar, but that hasn’t stopped Georgia Tech from being competitive from some of the better teams in the country, including beating Miami at home and taking Georgia to eight overtimes. The dual threat King showed his full arsenal in the regular season finale against the Bulldogs, passing for 303 yards and adding 110 on the ground.
Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia: The New Mexico State transfer has been one of the best stories in college football this season, totaling nearly 3,000 yards with 23 touchdowns and only four interceptions as Vanderbilt smashed expectations this season, including beating then No. 1 ranked Alabama.
Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Prediction and Pick
There will be plenty of intrigue for this game as each team played a role in some of the most surprising results of the season from start to finish.
Both offenses have thrived as big underdogs with its ability to keep its offense on the field with sound play calling and dual threat quarterback play that can move the chains. So, with that in mind, I’m going to side with the slight underdog Vanderbilt.
For starters, Georgia Tech may be short-handed in this one, as No. 1 wide receiver Eric Singleton already hit the transfer portal as well as starting left tackle Corey Robinson. Further, the Yellow Jackets suffered a host of injuries in the final game of the regular season against Georgia, including a pair of starting cornerbacks. For now, the status for the likes of Rodney Shelley and Zachary Tobe are unknown at this point.
Meanwhile, the Commodores are expected to have nearly full attendance and will be able to stay close to the Yellow Jackets, who are in the rare role as favorite where the team went 2-3 against the spread.
Both teams do a good job of limiting explosive plays on defense and play clean football on offense, each top five in the country in turnovers lost this season. However, I don’t see much of a difference between either, and with opt outs and injuries potentially adding up on the Yellow Jackets side, I’ll take the small underdog in Vandy. The Commodores are 7-2 ATS as an underdog this season.
PICK: Vanderbilt +2.5
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Birmingham Bowl.