The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets travel to Blacksburg on Saturday to take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in the TechMo Bowl rivalry game that has been played (almost) annually since 2004.
While there’s plenty to get excited about, the status of Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King casts a question mark over the latest betting odds and, subsequently, our Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech prediction.
Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech Betting Preview
All Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. The CFN spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter (FPM).
- CFN FPM Spread
Virginia Tech -1 - Spread
Virginia Tech -10 - Moneyline
Virginia Tech -360, Georgia Tech +285 - Over/Under
51.5 points - Game time
Noon ET - Location
Lane Stadium | Blacksburg, VA - Predicted Weather at Kick
76 degrees, mostly sunny and warm, 6 mph winds - How to Watch
ACC Network
While the two teams met as a one-off in 1990, the TechMo Bowl has become an annual fixture on the Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech calendars. They didn’t play in 2020 or 2023, but the Yellow Jackets won the last time the two teams met, with a 28-27 win in Blacksburg narrowing the series to an 11-8 Virginia Tech lead. Can Brent Key’s team tighten the screw once more in 2024?
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
According to the latest betting odds, no. DraftKings installed the Hokies as a moneyline favorite with a 10-point advantage, which may be a reflection of King’s availability for the Yellow Jackets. The CFN FPM has the game much closer, pending official news on the Georgia Tech QB situation.
The road team is 1-2 covering the spread as an underdog this fall, while the Hokies have covered in their last three but are 3-3 covering as a favorite. Five of Georgia Tech’s eight games this year have come under the points total, with a push against the Syracuse Orange, so that could be a betting avenue to take here.
Georgia Tech’s Winning Probability
According to the CFN FPM, Georgia Tech has a 49.2% chance of coming away from Blacksburg with a win on Saturday. Essentially a pick ’em with home-field advantage, our metric gives the Yellow Jackets a substantially better shot at victory than the latest lines from oddsmakers.
The remaining win probabilities for the 2024 Georgia Tech campaign can be found below:
- at Virginia Tech: 49.2%
- at Miami (FL): 29.7%
- at NC State: 74.2%
- vs. Georgia (neutral site): 8.5%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, the Yellow Jackets would end the 2024 season with a 6-6 record and a bowl berth for the second consecutive season. Georgia Tech hasn’t played a postseason game in successive seasons since the 2013-2014 campaigns under Paul Johnson.
Virginia Tech’s Winning Probability
Conversely, the CFN FPM gives Virginia Tech a 50.8% chance of winning, with the Lane Stadium atmosphere playing a particularly large part in providing an intimidating home-field advantage, as seen in the win over the Boston College Eagles in Week 8.
The remaining win probabilities for the Hokies in the 2024 college football season are below:
- vs. Georgia Tech: 50.8%
- at Syracuse: 48.2%
- vs. Clemson: 26.6%
- at Duke: 50.4%
- vs. Virginia: 67.7%
If those win probabilities were to hold true, Virginia Tech would end the season with a 7-5 record, a one-win regular season improvement from 2023. That would earn them a bowl berth and a shot at a first eight-win season since 2019.
Prediction for Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech
A Georgia Tech season that started in euphoric fashion in Dublin hasn’t quite matched up to expectations, with the Yellow Jackets failing to succeed in their biggest games ever since. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech has had to undergo some periods of reflection after coming up short compared to some national media projections ahead of the 2024 college football season.
The Yellow Jackets can, nonetheless, secure bowl eligibility with a win in Blacksburg, but will they? Is Virginia Tech really as good as the oddsmakers think? Who’s got the edge, and where will the key battles unfold?
Obviously, any Georgia Tech vs. Virginia Tech prediction hangs on the health of quarterback King. The former Texas A&M Aggies standout is a pivotal part of the Yellow Jackets, not least for how teams accounting for his dual-threat capability leave opportunities for running back Jamal Haynes. While King leads the ACC in completion percentage, it’s here his impact is felt.
When Georgia Tech gets the ball moving on the ground, they stand a significantly greater chance of victory. With Zach Pyron under center against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Yellow Jackets simply couldn’t get the offense going. The result? Their worst defeat of the year. Haynes accounts for more touchdowns than the entire receiving room combined.
Head coach Key provided the latest injury update on Monday, telling the media that “he’s day-to-day. Are we preparing the other guys to play? Yes. All right. Are we ruling him out? No.”
Yellow Jackets star linebacker Kyle Efford is also considered day-to-day. His return, and impact in the opposition backfield, would be a huge boon for Georgia Tech as they seek to hold Hokies running back Bhayshul Tuten in check. The former FCS standout comes into the game off a monster performance against Boston College, and is establishing himself as a top RB in the country.
Georgia Tech has been good against the run this year when Efford has been on the field, allowing just four rushing touchdowns prior to the defeat to the Fighting Irish. If they can bottle up Tuten and dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones, then there’s a chance they can take this game down to the wire.
Much depends on the injury updates as the game gets closer. Watch for Virginia Tech’s defensive standouts Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Mansoor Delane to be instrumental in a Hokies home win.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 24, Virginia Tech 27
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