College Football Betting – Georgia Tech at Miami

BetOnline NCAA College Football Betting Odds: MIAMI -4.5

Both teams were in great games last week. Georgia Tech was in a very close one with Clemson, winning it 30-27, although they did not cover the five-point spread in college football betting. The Yellow Jackets had 301 yards on the ground, but their defense did give up 386 total yards. This is actually Georgia Tech’s third game of the season, as they defeated a Jacksonville State team that was without Ryan Perilloux in the season opener.

Miami was in one of the greatest showdowns in the history of its college football betting against Florida State on September 7, coming back from ten points down to win 38-34, as quarterback Jacory Harris threw for 386 yards. The ‘Canes have elevated themselves into the Top 20 with that win.

Here are some of the NCAA college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• GT has won four of its last five games SU
• GT has covered six of its last seven road games
• GT has won five of its last seven road games SU
• GT has played four of its last five road games UNDER the total
• MIA has won six of its last nine games SU
• MIA has covered one of its last five home games
• MIA has won 14 of its last 20 home games SU

Also….

• GT has won and covered the last four meetings
• Four of the last six meetings have gone UNDER the total

As memorable as that win in Tallahassee was, the last meeting they had with Georgia Tech is one they would rather forget. It took place in Atlanta in the next-to-last game of the 2008 regular season, and in that contest, the Yellow Jackets ran wild for 472 yards on the ground in a 41-23 win where they easily covered as a three-point favorite in college football betting. It was the second highest total of rushing yards ever allowed by Miami. Four different members of the Yellow Jackets ran for 78 yards or more, including Jonathan Dwyer, who had ten carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

The time before that, in a game held in Miami, the ‘Canes were outgained 244-71 in the second half and lost by a field goal. All told, Georgia Tech has won and covered the last four meetings in college football betting.

Miami made a great choice when it hired Mark Whipple as its offensive coordinator. He has really opened up the offense, ushered in a big-play mentality and taken advantage of the talents of Harris, who has made only three career starts but shows the composure of a veteran. What they may be missing from the great Miami teams of the past is the preponderance of athletes. That will obviously come soon enough, and more college football betting wins will follow, if coach Randy Shannon and his staff continue to recruit strongly.

We realize that the Hurricanes returned five of their front seven on defense, but truth be told, they were not severely tested by the Florida State offense, which does not use its running game a lot. This is a different story, as Miami needs to demonstrate it can slow down Paul Johnson’s scheme. We don’t see a compelling reason why they would. As such, we look at the Jackets as an attractive underdog in college football betting getting 4.5 points.

JAY’S PLAY: GEORGIA TECH +4.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)