by Chuck Sommers
Saturday, Jan 01, 2022
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Venue: McCarnish Pavilion, Atlanta, GA
Where to watch: ESPN2
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Louisville -2.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record
Louisville: 8-4 (2-0 ACC)
Georgia Tech: 6-5 (0-1 ACC)
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Louisville - Georgia Tech preview and analysis
Recent form
Louisville: won 73-69 vs. Wake Forest on Wednesday
Georgia Tech: won 72-62 (OT) vs. Georgia State on Dec. 21
The Louisville Cardinals will try to start ACC play with three straight wins when they visit the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday.
Louisville has alternated wins and losses in the last six games after starting the season 5-1. The losses have come against some notable opponents like No. 22 Michigan State and DePaul, one of the top teams in the Big East Conference.
The Cardinals are coming off a 4-point win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for their second conference win of the season. Noah Locke led Louisville with 17 points on 5 of 8 shooting, with the Cardinals winning the game despite shooting below 40% from the floor.
The spread hasn't been kind to Louisville as of late, going 2-4 against the spread in the last six including an ATS loss to Wake Forest as 5-point favorites. This will be Louisville's sixth straight game as a favorite.
Georgia Tech has dropped four of five after going 5-1 to begin its season. Losses have come via a 4-point loss to Wisconsin, a 16-point loss to undefeated LSU and another loss to undefeated USC. The Yellow Jackets ended a four-game losing streak with 10-point overtime win against Georgia State on Dec. 21; GT had its game against Alabama A&M postponed due to COVID.
Jordan Usher had a game-high 30 points on 8 of 14 shooting to go with 11 rebounds to survive a near collapse against the Panthers. Georgia Tech was outscored 26-19 in the second half after scoring 40 points in the first 20 minutes.
Kyle Sturdivant was the second-highest scorer with 12 points on 4 of 9 shooting to be considered a helpful component to this horrible offense. The Jackets shot 39.3% and only 9 of 22 from 3-point range.
The under has cashed in Georgia Tech's last four games, including its last four at home. GT had lost six straight against the spread before covering as 4.5-point favorites against Georgia State. The Jackets will be underdogs for the fifth time in six games.
The Louisville Cardinals will try to start ACC play with three straight wins when they visit the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday.
Louisville has alternated wins and losses in the last six games after starting the season 5-1. The losses have come against some notable opponents like No. 22 Michigan State and DePaul, one of the top teams in the Big East Conference.
The Cardinals are coming off a 4-point win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons for their second conference win of the season. Noah Locke led Louisville with 17 points on 5 of 8 shooting, with the Cardinals winning the game despite shooting below 40% from the floor.
The spread hasn't been kind to Louisville as of late, going 2-4 against the spread in the last six including an ATS loss to Wake Forest as 5-point favorites. This will be Louisville's sixth straight game as a favorite.
Georgia Tech has dropped four of five after going 5-1 to begin its season. Losses have come via a 4-point loss to Wisconsin, a 16-point loss to undefeated LSU and another loss to undefeated USC. The Yellow Jackets ended a four-game losing streak with 10-point overtime win against Georgia State on Dec. 21; GT had its game against Alabama A&M postponed due to COVID.
Jordan Usher had a game-high 30 points on 8 of 14 shooting to go with 11 rebounds to survive a near collapse against the Panthers. Georgia Tech was outscored 26-19 in the second half after scoring 40 points in the first 20 minutes.
Kyle Sturdivant was the second-highest scorer with 12 points on 4 of 9 shooting to be considered a helpful component to this horrible offense. The Jackets shot 39.3% and only 9 of 22 from 3-point range.
The under has cashed in Georgia Tech's last four games, including its last four at home. GT had lost six straight against the spread before covering as 4.5-point favorites against Georgia State. The Jackets will be underdogs for the fifth time in six games.
Prediction
With both teams not looking as impressive as one would hope, this may be a good chance to take a look at the underdog. Georgia Tech ran into some stiff competition during its losing streak, and I expect them to show off that resiliency and get a win against a tough Louisville team. Georgia Tech by 8
Betting trends
Louisville is 1-5 ATS in its last six on the road when the line is between +3 and -3.
Louisville is 6-6 ATS off a home win against a conference rival over the past three seasons.
Georgia Tech is 12-4 ATS in the last 16 when the line is between +3 and -3.
Georgia Tech is 26-14 ATS against conference opponents over the past three seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Louisville:
PG: Jarrod West
SG: Noah Locke
SF: Dre Davis
PF: Matt Cross
C: Malik Williams
SF: Dre Davis
PF: Matt Cross
C: Malik Williams
Georgia Tech:
PG: Deivon Smith
SG: Michael Devoe
SF: Khalid Moore
PF: Jordan Usher
C: Rodney Howard
SF: Khalid Moore
PF: Jordan Usher
C: Rodney Howard
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
