Georgia Tech vs Georgia State Prediction 8-31-24 College Football Picks

The Georgia State Panthers and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets meet Saturday in college football action from Bobby Dodd Stadium. Here’s a Georgia Tech vs Georgia State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Georgia Tech vs Georgia State pick.

Georgia State Panthers Betting Preview

Last season the Panthers managed to stay above .500 and qualify for a bowl berth with a 7-6 record but went just 3-5 in the Sun Belt games. Georgia State landed ahead of only Marshall and Georgia Southern in the standings. In the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the Panthers took a victory 45-22 over Utah State to cap the season on a high note.

Looking ahead to 2024, Georgia State gets a fresh crop of leaders on the sideline, led by head coach Dell McGee. The Panthers were picked to finish in last place among the East Division teams in the preseason coaches’ poll, however, so they’ve got quite the uphill battle ahead of them.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Preview

Over on the Georgia Tech side, they also managed to go 7-6 overall last season. The Yellow Jackets went 5-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference games, which put them in a respectable fourth place behind Florida State, Louisville and NC State. Georgia Tech powered out a 30-17 win over UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl to finish things off.

The Yellow Jackets already have one game in the books, a matchup versus Florida State last weekend. In that one, Georgia Tech powered out a stellar upset win 24-21 with 10 fourth-quarter points. QB Haynes King threw for 146 yards, but Jamal Haynes did most of the scoring work with 11 carries for 75 yards and two TDs.

Why the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will win

• Georgia State has lost five of its last six games.
• Georgia State has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven road openers as an underdog.

Why the Georgia State Panthers will win

• Georgia State has won five of its last six games against non-conference opponents.
• Georgia State has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games as an underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Georgia State has won the first half in five of its last six games against non-conference opponents.
• Georgia State has won the first quarter in six of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Five of Georgia State’s last six season openers have gone OVER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

• Georgia Tech ranked T14th among FBS teams for Q4 win percentage last season (.615).
• Georgia Tech ranked 15th among FBS teams for Q4 points per game last season (9.6).
• Georgia State ranked T17th among FBS teams for H1 win percentage last season (.692).
• Georgia State ranked T20th among FBS teams for Q2 win percentage last season (.615).

Georgia Tech vs Georgia State Prediction

I’ll lean toward Georgia Tech. Granted, the Yellow Jackets have a very difficult schedule ahead, and not too many pundits are giving the team much of a chance to return to a bowl game. That said, this should be a manageable game for Georgia Tech, and their opening-week experience should serve them well.

In the Florida State game, the Jackets played quite the well-rounded game, notching 336 total yards (190 rushing), 18 first downs, no turnovers and just three penalties. On defense, Georgia Tech held the Seminoles to 291 yards (98 rushing) and a 5-of-12 success rate on third downs. So long as the Yellow Jackets don’t suffer a big-win hangover, they should be in great shape for game two.