2005 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Handicapping Review

 

By Tom Wilkinson

 

Georgia Tech has served as the ultimate definition of a college football program that barely does enough to get by. The Yellow Jackets entered the 2004 season coming off three consecutive bowl seasons, and overall straight up records starting in 2001 of 8-5, 7-6, and 7-6. The Jackets were also a substandard 15-23 against the odds during that same three-year span, demonstrating a sports handicapping unreliability and lack of value that burned the bankrolls of many sports bettors through those seasons. The fact that Tech has been a consistent bowl team gives them higher esteem within the general sports betting public than what, in reality, is deserved. This has contributed to Tech often being overvalued by the sports betting odds makers.

Tech began 2004 with a non-lined home win over 1-AA Samford 28-7. Next for the Jackets came a miracle 28-24 win at Clemson as 6.5-point dogs. This shocker caught national attention and many otherwise ignorant sports bettors began to consider Tech a team of destiny and one to be included on their list of college football picks.

This extra attention served to nuke whatever potential sports handicapping value that Tech may have had as they lost back to back games at North Carolina and then home against Miami both straight up and against the odds. The loss to Miami caused many sports betting bloggers to post that Tech was a “fraud.” Thus, a sure sign that their value was coming back.

In their very next game after the Miami loss, Tech was installed as 12.5-point dogs at Maryland and beat the Terps 20-7. They next won but didn’t cover at home against Duke and then lost both straight up and against the odds as home dogs to Virginia Tech. Again, as was the case after the Miami game, Tech was labeled a “fraud” and “pretender” by sports betting bloggers after their loss to the Hokies.

Just as they were written off for good, however, Georgia Tech beat the sports betting odds in three of their final four regular season games, including their season finale at home against Georgia in which they were installed as a ridiculous 15-point underdog in a close 13-19 loss. The Jackets earned a bowl berth and crushed Syracuse 51-14 for their fourth cover in their final five games of 2004.