Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
March 3rd, 2011 at 8 PM EST
Opening Line:  Ga Tech -5
Current Line:  Ga Tech -6
Opening Total: 142.5
Current Total: 142
Opening Moneyline: Ga Tech -260 / WF +220
Current Moneyline:  Ga Tech -265 / WF +225

Tonight’s game brings together ACC rivals Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.  The familiar foes are both having lackluster seasons this time around.  Georgia Tech (11-17) is just 3-11 in the ACC, for 11th place while Wake Forest (8-21) is even worse with a 1-13 in Conference record, dead  last in the conference.

Wake Forest has lost 13 of their last 14 games.  Their last victory was January 29th over the University of Virginia.  In their last 8 games, all losses, the Demon Deacons have lost by an average of 16.3 points per game.  Wake Forest has a -9.0 differential, giving up 76.7 a game while scoring only 67.7  Georgia Tech has not been much better.  They have now dropped 8 of their last 9.  They did take care of business last time against Wake Forest with a ridiculous 74-39 victory, however.  The Yellow Jackets have a +0.1 differential, scoring 68.3 a game and giving up 68.2.  The combinative total of the teams’ output is 145, slightly over the line set by college basketball oddsmakers.

Some betting trends:

Georgia Tech is 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 road games and they are 0-5 SU in their last 5 on the road.  The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia Tech’s last 6 road games and Georgia Tech is 1-4 ATS In their last 5 road games at Wake Forest.  Georgia Tech is 2-11 SU in their last 13 road games at Wake Forest and the total has gone OVER In 5 of Georgia Tech’s last 6 games on the road at Wake.

Wake Forest is 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games and 0-5 SU in their last 5 games.  The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wake’s last 5 games and the Demon Deacons are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 at home.  They are 1-6 SU In their last 7 home games and 2-5 ATS In their last 7 against Georgia Tech.  Wake Forest is 2-5 SU In their last 7 games against Georgia Tech and Wake Forest is 11-2 SU in their last 13 games at home against Georgia Tech.  The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wake Forest’s last 6 games at home against Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech is led by sophomore Brian Oliver and junior Iman Shumpert, who average 10.9 and 17.1 points per game, respectively.  Shumpert leads the team in rebounding too with 6.1 rebounds per game. Brian Oliver, though undersized for a big man, his strength and leaping ability enable him to be an effective big inside, while clearly lacking the size to take his game to the next level.  Shumpert is having the best year of his three years at Tech so far, upping his scoring average from previous years by over 3 points a game.  His field goal percentage, though, is a paltry 37.5%, in line with his percentage from previous years.  He will have to up his percentage for the Yellowjackets to have any chance at all this March.

Sophomore Glen Rice Jr. doesn’t appear to have the shooting skills of his father, but should still develop into a nice player for the Yellowjackets.  He is averaging the second most points per game on the team with 13.5 a game.  Last year he did a better impresonation of his father, shooting 46.7% from behind the arc, but he has inexplicably struggled this year, shooting only 31.5%.  If he can regain his touch Georgia Tech it would enable Georgia Tech to have a good shot at covering the spread.  He hasn’t been shooting it well of late and it seems his fate goes a long way towards determining the Yellow Jackets’ chances.

Wake Forest has a very balanced attack with five players averaging double figures (Travis McKie, Ari Stewart, J.T. Terrell, Gary Clark, and C.J. Harris).  McKie, a 6’7″ freshman promises to have a bright future, as he is the leading scorer at 12.7 points per game.  He is also grabbing a lot of boards and leads the Demon Deacons in rebounding with 7.7 rebounds a game.  Their other young gun Ari Stewart a 6’7″ sophomore forward is second on the team in scoring, was slightly behind McKie with 13.2 points per contest,  but his playing time and scoring average have both dipped recently and he is now only averaging 9.1 a game, but he is second on the team in rebounding,at 4.6 per game.    Wake Forest as a team is shooting an outstanding 36.2% from behind the arc, with Gary Clark’s 56.6% leading the way (47 of 83).  Georgia Tech will need to get out on their shooters, because if Wake gets cooking from down town then the Yellow Jackets are in for a long night.