College football is back! We’ve got our first matchup of the year as #10 FSU looks to embark on a revenge tour after they were, in their words, snubbed from last year’s CFP. They’ve got some new and exciting players looking to put their fingerprint all over this Week 0 tilt in Dublin, Ireland.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are looking to start out strong in their inaugural game of the 2024 season. With an up-and-down last few years, the Yellow Jackets are looking to make a statement overseas, but can they pull it off?
Luckily, you don’t have to necessarily have a crystal ball to figure this one out -we’ve got our odds and predictions right here!
The Case for Florida State
Under normal circumstances, losing your stud QB to the NFL would be plenty of reason to be skeptical about Florida State covering in this matchup. But they were able to snag one of the most well-traveled and experienced QBs in the transfer portal this offseason in DJ Uiagalelei who previously spent time with Clemson and Oregon State.
Also looking to attack a rebuilding Georgia Tech defense will be key transfers like former Alabama players Roydell Williams at RB and Malik Benson at WR. On the opposite side of the ball, FSU has also had several notable transfers come over and they’ll look to flex their top-shelf secondary’s muscle against Georgia Tech’s aerial attack.
On a more analytical level, Georgia Tech has struggled out of the gate over the last half decade-plus, with a 1-5 record. Take that for what it's worth.
The Case for Georgia Tech
If you read all of the above about FSU and concluded that they’re a slam dunk to cover, well, hear me out for a second. Georgia Tech does quite well as the underdog, having gone 7-2 in such games last year. The Yellow Jackets *checks notes* were the best team in all of college football ATS last season when coming in as the underdog and had similar success the year prior.
Maybe the best case for GT has less to do with their guys and far more to do with FSU. Coming off a 13-0 season, FSU has been stripped down to the studs on the offensive side of the ball and while they’ve secured some great transfers, there is a lot to prove and a lot of pressure on those guys.
Consider that with the fact that QB Haynes King, who led the ACC with 27 touchdowns last year, is returning under center for Georgia Tech along with 1,000-yard back Jamal Haynes and we may just have a slugfest.
Best Bet: Florida State ML (-450)
I like the FSU money line in this one as they simply have too much on both sides of the ball for Georgia Tech to handle. I do like Georgia Tech to cover in this game, but there are too many question marks for me to cozy up to that idea with any confidence.
They’re coming off a very disappointing year with a lot of shakeups across the roster and coaching staff, but I think they come out and play hard – it just ultimately won’t be enough against a superior Seminoles team in Dublin, Ireland.
