Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest Odds & Prediction: Value on Yellow Jackets

The undefeated Wake Forest Demon Deacons are short home favorites when they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who look to turn their season around Saturday night.

Georgia Tech easily could've covered the number last week against Ole Miss, but our pal Lane Kiffin was up to his old tricks for the second week in a row.

Wake Forest survived the dreaded sandwich spot last week in a 27-24 win over Old Dominion and will hope to remain undefeated.

This is an interesting matchup with contrasting offensive styles, so let's waste no further time and break down our betting pick, preview and prediction for Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest.

It's nice to see head coach Brent Key turn this Georgia Tech program around, but there are still hurdles to climb before the Yellow Jackets return to prominence in the ACC.

The transition from the triple-option from a couple of years back has been a struggle, but they've finally shown a lot of life offensively.

Quarterback Haynes King has played much better than I would've expected, as he has started the year hot with nine touchdown passes and only one interception. This run-heavy, shifty offense has definitely benefited him, as the Jackets have been quite the juggernaut on that side of the ball thus far.

The Jackets should have an advantage in the trenches, as their offense enters this matchup seventh in Rushing Success Rate, ninth in Line Yards and 42nd in Havoc Allowed. The Deacons' pedestrian defensive front — which ranks 72nd in Line Yards — is in for a rude awakening Saturday afternoon.

Defensively, I still have some questions about this Georgia Tech unit. The Jackets have struggled in the secondary, as they're 80th in Pass Success Rate Allowed, 117th in PFF Tackling Grade and 124th in Havoc Created.

If the Jackets can't generate pressure on the defensive front, they may need to win in a shootout. Getting a few three-and-outs early will provide a large boost to this defensive unit and will take the air out of the Wake crowd.

Last week, I expected Wake Forest to take care of business against a lousy Old Dominion team, but the Demon Deacons narrowly escaped in a game they easily could've lost.

I still don't trust this team in the long run, and this matchup could be a rude awakening for the undefeated Deacons.

Despite being gashed by the run, this Wake Forest defensive front has created a lot of Havoc to start the season. The Demon Deacons enter this matchup 44th in Defensive Passing Success Rate, so if the Yellow Jackets are forced to become one-dimensional, I could see the Deacs forcing a few turnovers.

Offensively, there's an ominous laundry list of injuries for Wake heading into this matchup. This is definitely something to monitor, as two offensive linemen and three tight ends are all questionable for Saturday.

Quarterback Mitch Griffis looked decent last weekend against ODU, but he'll have to move around a bit more than usual if the offensive line is banged up.

Luckily for the Deacs, the Yellow Jackets are 124th in Defensive Havoc and 127th in Quality Drives, so the Deacs should have success moving the ball.

This is a spot where I could see the Demon Deacons winning because their offense outclasses the Yellow Jackets, but major regression is coming.

This Wake Forest defense has yet to be tested, and that could be the difference in this matchup.

The must-have app for college football bettors

The best NCAAF betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Georgia Tech and Wake Forest match up statistically:

Georgia Tech Offense vs. Wake Forest Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	17	60
Line Yards	9	72
Pass Success	18	44
Havoc	42	11
Finishing Drives	58	20
Quality Drives	18	22

Wake Forest Offense vs. Georgia Tech Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	67	56
Line Yards	75	59
Pass Success	61	80
Havoc	95	124
Finishing Drives	99	71
Quality Drives	78	127

Pace of Play / Other

PFF Tackling	117	34
PFF Coverage	70	13
Special Teams SP+	83	79
Middle 8	16	10
Seconds per Play	26.0 (51)	26.2 (57)
Rush Rate	52.2% (88)	56.5% (57)

This is a fantastic spot for Georgia Tech against a 3-0 Wake Forest Team that's remained largely untested.

The Yellow Jackets have significant advantages on offense, and I could see them breaking multiple big runs. I trust King to continue his strong early-season play, and he should have success using his legs, as well.

The Demon Deacons have the offensive chops to keep up, but their opportunities will be limited with the Jackets controlling the tempo through their ground attack. If they manage to stop the run on defense and make King rely on his arm, they could pull out a win.

However, I expect Georgia Tech to have success running the ball, and consequently, I like the value on Georgia Tech in this spot.

Let's get this one home with the road dog catching over a field goal at +3.5 on the spread.