Georgia Bulldogs AT Georgia Tech Yellowjackets
Tuesday, 12/07/2010 7:00 EST
Opening Betting line: Georgia Tech -5.5
Current Betting line: Georgia Tech -5.0
Current Total: Undefined
The two rivals tonight enter with similar records, but different trends. Georgia Tech has lost their last two games (to Northwestern and Syracuse) while the Bulldogs have won their last two (to UAB and Manhattan). The wins pulled the Bulldogs record up to 5-2, while the Yellowjackets of Georgia Tech are 4-3.
Georgia is 1-4 in their last five games on the road ATS, and they are a disgusting 3-16 in their last 19 road games. The total has gone under in 5 of their last 7 road games. Georgia Tech has won their last five home games and have won 6 of their last 7 against the Bulldogs.
Georgia sports a balanced attack with 4 players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Travis Leslie’s 17.3 points per game. Despite standing only 6’4″, Leslie averages 8.7 boards a game and 1.2 blocks a game, to go along with his 2.2 steals. He is a complete player and is efficient and effective on both ends of the court, though he does lack an outside shot. If he’s going to play at the next level he will have to work on his jumper. His backcourt mate 6’1″ Gerald Robinson is the second leading scorer for Georgia with 15.8 points per contest. Robinson is a decent three point shooter, hitting 38.1% on threes.
Not having leading scorer Trey Thompkins will hurt, though, as he is out indefinitely with a sprained ankle.
Georgia Tech is led by sophomore Brian Oliver and junior Iman Shumpert, who average 14.0 and 13.7 points per game, respectively. The 6’6″ Oliver also leads the Yellowjackets in rebounding with 6.4 boards a game. Though undersized for a big man Oliver’s 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 third most points per game on the team with 11.1 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, albeit in a small sample size, going 3 of 17 behind the arc. If he can regain his touch Georgia Tech it would enable Georgia Tech to have a good shot at covering the spread.
