The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets most likely aren’t going to the Big Dance this year, but they have shown signs of promise. They’ve been a thorn on the side of the best teams in the ACC, and gave the Louisville Cardinals all they could handle back in Atlanta. But can they pull off an upset over a Cardinals team that’s been amazing at home and is still chasing the ACC regular season title?
Read on below for our preview of this big ACC showdown. Also, don’t forget to check out our preview of Tuesday’s other ACC matchup, Virginia vs. Clemson.
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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Louisville Cardinals Preview
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville
When: Tuesday, March 1, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+12.5) at Louisville Cardinals (-12.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN3
Betting on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (17-12, 7-9 ACC)
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have taken a step up in Year 5 under head coach Brian Gregory. Their seven conference wins and 17 wins overall are both new highs under Gregory. Tech reached that mark by going an impressive 4-0 in its last four games, which includes a 63-62 upset over a No. 19 Notre Dame team on Feb. 20.
That win was another example of just how tough the Yellow Jackets have been against ranked opposition this season. They’re just 2-5 SU in those matchups, but are a very impressive 5-2 ATS. They managed to cover as 6.5-point home underdogs against Louisville in their first meeting on Jan. 23.Senior Marcus Georges-Hunt scored 23 points in that game to lead the Yellow Jackets, and he’ll need to have another huge game for his team to pull off an even bigger upset at the KFC Yum! Center. Good thing Georges-Hunt has been on fire of late. He’s averaging 22.3 PPG over his last six, a significant bump from the 17 PPG he’s putting up this season.
The Yellow Jackets have been very pesky away from home, going 5-2-1 ATS in eight conference road games.
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Betting on the Louisville Cardinals (22-7, 11-5 ACC)
Louisville’s hopes of claiming the ACC regular season title took a big blow as the Cardinals fell, 73-65, to Miami in Coral Gables on Saturday.
The loss wasn’t too much of a surprise, especially since they were playing the ‘Canes, a terrific home team, playing on Senior Night, and because the Cardinals are just not as good on the road. Six of their seven losses this season have come on the road.
It’s a completely different story in the KFC Yum! Center, though. Louisville is 17-1 (10-4-1 ATS) in 18 home games this season, and owns the best home scoring margin in the country (+24.1). It has won four-straight at home after suffering its lone loss against Virginia, and two of those wins came against ACC heavyweights North Carolina and Duke.
Louisville is still very much alive in the chase for the ACC title, but it also knows that with a final game at Virginia, it can’t afford any screw-ups at home against a team it should beat.
Louisville is 4-0 in its last four meetings against Georgia Tech, and 2-0 since the Cards became part of the ACC.
Writer’s Prediction
Georgia Tech (+12.5) puts up another good fight and gets the cover, but Louisville wins, 71-63.