There were not many people who had Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech on Nov. 21 circled as one of the biggest games on the college football calendar.
Sure, there were plenty of folks who had the Yellow Jackets tagged as a potential dark horse in the ACC, but they were not thought to be on the same level as Clemson and Miami.
Pitt, meanwhile, was not on anybody’s radar before the start of the season.
Heck, nobody had the Panthers on their radar before Halloween.
Yet, here we are.
The winner of Saturday’s battle between Georgia Tech (9-1, 6-1) and Pittsburgh (7-3, 5-1) will have a real shot at winning the ACC and going to the College Football Playoff.
The loser will be eliminated from both fields.
Pittsburgh vs. Georgia Tech odds, prediction
Georgia Tech started the season on fire, winning eight in a row before falling to NC State on the road. It was an ugly loss, and the Yellow Jackets were not convincing against Boston College last week, but they’re now one win away from a berth in the ACC Championship came.
And it’s a bit unfair to pick apart Georgia Tech’s performances in recent weeks.
The Yellow Jackets did start 8-0, but nobody was expecting them to run the table without issue. There were going to be bumps for the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Pittsburgh has also endured some hiccups, but the Panthers have timed those well.
They came against non-conference opponents like West Virginia and Notre Dame, and their lone ACC defeat to Louisville won’t sting them because the Cardinals are not in the mix for a spot in the title game.
What really matters here, though, is Pitt’s schedule.
The Panthers have played six ACC opponents, and only Louisville has a winning record in the conference. Wins over Florida State, NC State, Stanford, Boston College and Syracuse are not going to tip anybody over.
Georgia Tech’s path hasn’t been much stiffer, but it does have wins over Colorado, Clemson and Duke in its pocket, which is more than Pitt can boast about.
The Yellow Jackets should also benefit from having a decided experience edge, especially at quarterback with Haynes King.
Betting on College Football?
Pitt’s Mason Heintschel has been a revelation in his first year, but he didn’t have anything going for him against Notre Dame and that won’t cut it against Georgia Tech — not because the Yellow Jackets boast an elite defense, but because the offense can score at will when it’s clicking.
The odds here suggest these two teams are on equal footing and would be a pick’em on a neutral field. Not in my eyes.
The Play: Georgia Tech -2.5 (-115, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
