One of college football’s best rivalries will renew on Friday when the No. 4-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (10-1) head to Atlanta to face the No. 23-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-2).
Georgia is not a lock for the SEC Championship game next week, but the Bulldogs should remain securely in the college football playoffs regardless of Friday’s outcome. The Bulldogs’ earlier loss to Alabama could prevent them from playing a second straight week in Atlanta.
The Yellow Jackets are not locked into either the ACC Championship Game or the college football playoffs. Georgia Tech could have secured its spot in next weekend’s game with a win over Pitt last weekend, but the Panthers instead kept their hopes alive with a 42-28 victory.
Which rival emerges from Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate with a resume-building victory? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for Friday’s contest.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets QB Haynes King OVER 222.5 Passing Yards
Quarterback Haynes King can lead the Yellow Jackets to their fourth double-figure win total over the past 25 years by defeating the Bulldogs on Friday. He’s an efficient signal-caller, having completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 2,516 yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. King is also an elite runner, notching 883 yards on the ground and 15 more scores.
Georgia’s defense has been susceptible to the pass this season. The Bulldogs allowed AP Top 25 opponents to surpass the 260-yard mark in multiple outings thus far. Expect King to at least finish with 230 passing yards on Friday, becoming the fifth signal-caller to finish with decent passing yard totals against the Bulldogs.
Georgia Bulldogs WR Zachariah Branch UNDER 61.5 Receiving Yards
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch likely has a future in the NFL. The 5-foot-10 junior has caught 63 passes for 638 yards and three scores, but he’s notched a reception of at least 19 yards in eight games this season.
As a big-catch dependent receiver, Branch often misses the target on his player prop bet totals. After surpassing 60 yards in three straight outings, he’s now missed that mark during the past two games. Georgia Tech will likely key on him in the passing game, keeping him from surpassing that 62-yard mark for the third straight contest.
Georgia Bulldogs RB Nate Frazier OVER 60.5 Rushing Yards
Sophomore running back Nate Frazier has been a beast for the Bulldogs this season. The 5-foot-10 athlete has 701 rushing yards on 129 carries, scoring five times for Georgia’s rushing attack.
He’s been at his best against strong competition. Frazier had 72 yards against both the Ole Miss Rebels and the Texas Longhorns. While Georgia Tech’s rush defense is improved, take Frazier to cover his player prop bet in Friday’s contest.
Best Bet: UNDER 59.5 Points
Last year, these two teams went to eight overtimes before a winner was decided. Georgia prevailed in that epic contest, securing a 44-42 victory over their rivals. While bettors should expect the Bulldogs to emerge victorious yet again, a 12.5-point spread is too rich for my liking.
Bettors shouldn’t expect a similar high-scoring affair this year, however. Since allowing Ole Miss to score 35 points in mid-October, the Bulldogs’ defense has allowed just 13.5 points per game since then. Expect this contest to finish in the low-to-mid 20s for both squads, hitting the under on the 59.5-point combined total.
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