UNC vs Georgia Tech Odds and Picks (Dec. 5)

• UNC is a 3.5-point road favorite over Georgia Tech on Sunday (December 5th, 3 pm ET) at McCamish Pavilion, in Atlanta, GA
• Both programs are off to 5-2 starts this season
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

North Carolina and Georgia Tech will play their ACC openers on Sunday (Dec. 5th), when the two programs meet in Atlanta. The Tar Heels began the season ranked inside the AP top-25, but have since fallen out thanks to losses versus #2 Purdue and #17 Tennessee.

UNC did earn a resume building victory last time out versus #24 Michigan, and could find themselves ranked once again should they take down the Yellow Jackets as well.

UNC vs Georgia Tech Odds

Odds as of Dec. 4th at DraftKings.

The Tar Heels opened up as a 3.5-point road favorite, in a game that features a total of 150.5 Tip-off is scheduled for 3 pm ET at McCamish Pavillion, and will give Atlanta sports fans something else to watch in the likelihood that the Falcons are getting pummelled by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

UNC Tar Heels Betting Analysis

The win over the Wolverines was UNC’s second straight victory, and was led by Caleb Love. The sophomore guard poured in 22 points, while Armando Bacot splashed 11 points, and pulled down 14 rebounds.

.@caleb2love feasted like it was still Thanksgiving#CarolinaFamily pic.twitter.com/LfSeyTNTVp

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 3, 2021

After a tightly contested opening half, the Tar Heels blew the doors open in the final 20 minutes. They shot 58% from the field, and outscored Michigan by 19 points. They held the Wolverines to 33% shooting in the second half, building a lead as big as 25 before cruising to victory.

UNC shot 42% from beyond the arc, and finished +4 in the assist department, while gobbling up three more rebounds. They forced 13 Michigan turnovers, while holding them to their lowest point total of the season.

The Tar Heels proficient three-point shooting has been a staple of the program this season, as they rank 11th in the nation from beyond the arc. They boast the nation’s 30th best scoring offense, while ranking 35th in effective field goal percentage, and 39th in total rebounding.

😤😤😤 @iget_buckets35 pic.twitter.com/NFa4jYSjP1

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 3, 2021

Defensively, the effort versus the Wolverines looks like an early season outlier. UNC ranks 255th in scoring defense, allowing 74.7 points per game. They did yield 84 and 89 points respectively to Purdue and Tennessee, but they also surrendered 87 points to Brown and 83 points to Charleston.

Georgia Tech presents a tough matchup for the Tar Heels’ defense, as the Yellow Jackets feature the top scorer in the country.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Analysis

Michael Devoe leads all of college basketball so far with a points per game average of 25. The senior guard is fresh off his second 30+ point outburst of the season, dropping 33 in a loss to #23 Wisconsin.

Devoe accounted for half of Georgia Tech’s points in a 70-66 loss, shooting 55% from the field against the Badgers. He literally was a one-man show as no other Yellow Jacket reached double-figures, and the rest of the team combined to shoot 33%.

After his 33-point game against Wisconsin in the Jackets' 70-66 loss, Michael Devoe is leading Division I in scoring at 25 points per game. Badgers coach Greg Gard: "You can defend him perfectly and he still can knock down a shot." pic.twitter.com/6kHJLbyTfq

— Ken Sugiura (@ksugiuraajc) December 2, 2021

Poor shooting isn’t something Georgia Tech is used to, as they rank 54th in effective field goal percentage, and 17th in three-point efficiency.

Defensively, they held Wisconsin to 42.6% from the field, while winning the rebounding battled, but they forced only 8 turnovers. The Yellow Jackets are yielding 66.7 points per outing, which seems fine until you realize that the Badgers are the only top-120 program they’ve faced so far.

UNC vs Georgia Tech Pick

Despite facing a cupcake schedule, Georgia Tech has been abysmal against the spread. They’ve covered only twice in seven games, and are 1-5 against the number on home court.

The Tar Heels aren’t a team to talk however, as their victory over Michigan was the lone time they’ve beaten the spread in seven outings. UNC is 0-4 as a favorite and this 3.5-point line feels inflated due to the Tar Heels’ name recognition.

Michael Devoe has taken his game to another level this season 😤@GTMBB | @mdevoe0

pic.twitter.com/8KpdDHLjpb

— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) November 26, 2021

Devoe can single handily keep the Yellow Jackets in games, and we should expect a more efficient performance from the rest of his teammates given UNC’s shaky defense for most of the season. Take the points with the home ‘dog.

Pick: Georgia Tech +3.5 (-110)