Betting insider Josh Nagel provided not one but two recommendations on Georgia Tech’s game against Virginia Tech, but not with much conviction.
"Georgia Tech is one of the consistently most difficult teams to handicap," said Nagel, who writes for the sports betting picks website Sportsline. "They just are."
With the Hokies favored by 14 points, Nagel went with the underdog Yellow Jackets to cover. His perception is that bookmakers may have adjusted the spread in an attempt to try to even out betting on both sides as bettors have perhaps soured on Georgia Tech, particularly after its four-touchdown defeat to North Carolina last Saturday. The ideal for a sports book is to have a 50/50 split in money.
“Two touchdowns is too much to pass up,” Nagel said. “That’s a lot of separation Virginia Tech would have to create.”
He also went with the over on the total points bet. The over/under line has been set at 55 points.
Interestingly, the spread did not change with Wednesday’s announcement that B-back Dedrick Mills after being suspended for violating team rules, despite Mills’ clear value to the Yellow Jackets. Nagel called it weird that lines typically don’t change in those instances, but said that oddsmakers have their own power rating system for each team that won’t be changed by the absence of one player.
“They think by and large parts are interchangeable,” he said.
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