North Carolina @ Georgia Tech
Free Pick: UNC +3
When the North Carolina Tar Heels and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tangle this Saturday, fans should be treated to a battle of wills. The Jackets like to run the football with their triple option scheme, while the Heels get by with their solid defensive front. In this one, we’ve got reason to believe that North Carolina has a better than average chance at pulling off an outright win.
North Carolina boasts one of the best defensive lines in college football, and it all starts with tackle Marvin Austin. The big junior has turned himself into one of the best players in the entire ACC, and he’s got some help, as well. Stopping the triple option is not an easy task, but North Carolina showed last year that they have the formula for doing it. They forced four Georgia Tech fumbles and held the Jackets to seven points.
Teams with solid defensive lines have been successful against coach Paul Johnson’s option attack, and that should be the case on Saturday. Though much of the offseason talk was about the new Yellow Jacket passing attack, they’ve shown no ability to move the ball through the air in their first two ACC games. Clemson spotted them an early 24-0 lead before nearly completing a successful comeback and Miami completely overwhelmed the Jackets in every phase of the game.
Meanwhile, North Carolina boasts one of the most balanced attacks in the entire conference. Quarterback T.J. Yates isn’t spectacular, but he’s solid. The Heels also have two running backs that can get the job done and an offensive line that’s better than advertised.
The line on this game is interesting, and it’s worth taking note of for bettors. The line opened at Georgia Tech -3, and most of the public action has been on Georgia Tech. They’re currently pulling more than 65% of the public money, yet the line hasn’t moved. This is a solid line indicator for North Carolina, and it’s especially promising considering the matchup problems that the Tar Heels create for this Georgia Tech team. Take the road underdog in a series that’s favored the underdog over the years. The Tar Heels should pull off the surprise, and at the very least you have to feel good about getting points in what should end up being a close game.
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