North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Picks & Preview | NCAAFB Week 9

Star runner Omarion Hampton and the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1) face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (3-4) on Saturday at 8:00 PM ET at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field.

The Tar Heels are expected to win by at least two scores (currently -11.5) versus the Yellow Jackets. The over/under for this game is 63.5 points.

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Game Info for North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech

• Game Day: Saturday, October 28, 2023
• Game Time: 8:00 PM ET
• TV Channel: ACC Network
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Stadium: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field

North Carolina Pick Insights

• North Carolina’s ATS record is 5-2-0 this season.
• North Carolina is 0-2 against the spread when favored by 11.5 points or more this season.
• North Carolina games with a set total have hit the over three times this season (42.9%).

North Carolina Stats & Insights

• North Carolina has the 65th-ranked defense this year (370.1 yards allowed per game), and has been better on the other side of the ball, ranking fifth-best with a tally of 499.7 yards per game.
• Offensively, North Carolina has been a top-25 unit, ranking 17th-best in the FBS by totaling 35.9 points per game. The Tar Heels rank 48th on defense (22.4 points allowed per game).
• On the offensive side of the ball, North Carolina has been a top-25 unit in terms of passing yards, ranking 10th-best in the FBS by putting up 321.3 per game. The Tar Heels rank 90th on defense (240.4 passing yards allowed per game).
• North Carolina is averaging 178.4 rushing yards per game on offense, which ranks them 38th in the FBS. The team’s defensive unit ranks 52nd, allowing 129.7 rushing yards per contest.
• North Carolina sports the 56th-ranked defense this season in terms of third-down efficiency (36.6% third-down conversion rate allowed), and has been better offensively, ranking 12th-best with a 50.5% third-down percentage.
• With 13 forced turnovers (20th in the FBS) against six turnovers committed (14th in the FBS), North Carolina’s +7 turnover margin is the 11th-best in college football.

North Carolina’s Best Players

• Drake Maye has been a dual threat for North Carolina so far this season. He has 2,249 passing yards, completing 65.4% of his passes and tossing 14 touchdown passes and five interceptions this season. He’s rushed for 201 yards (28.7 ypg) on 68 carries with five rushing touchdowns.
• Hampton has 770 rushing yards on 131 carries with eight touchdowns. He’s also added 11 catches for 117 yards (16.7 per game) and one touchdown via the passing game.
• J.J. Jones has hauled in 25 receptions for 417 yards (59.6 yards per game) to lead the team so far this season. .
• Nate McCollum has reeled in 33 passes while averaging 55 yards per game and scoring one touchdown.
• Devontez Walker has been the target of 32 passes and hauled in 23 grabs for 321 yards, an average of 45.9 yards per contest. He’s found the end zone four times through the air this season.
• Kaimon Rucker has collected 7.5 sacks to pace the team, while also recording 10 TFL and 31 tackles.
• North Carolina’s tackle leader, Cedric Gray, has 69 tackles, four TFL, 2.5 sacks, and one interception this year.
• Alijah Huzzie leads the team with three interceptions, while also collecting 28 tackles, one TFL, and three passes defended.

Georgia Tech Betting Insights

• Georgia Tech has gone 3-3-0 ATS this year.
• Georgia Tech has a 1-1 record against the spread in games it was an underdog by 11.5 points or more this year.
• Four of Georgia Tech’s six games with a set total have hit the over (66.7%).

Georgia Tech Pick Insights

• Georgia Tech ranks 36th in total yards per game (434.1), but it has been worse defensively, ranking ninth-worst in the FBS with 450.7 total yards conceded per contest.
• In terms of points scored Georgia Tech ranks 57th in the FBS (29.7 points per game), and it is 104th defensively (30.3 points allowed per contest).
• Georgia Tech ranks 42nd in the FBS with 265 passing yards per game on offense, and it ranks 65th with 223 passing yards ceded per game on the defensive side of the ball.
• Georgia Tech ranks 50th in rushing yards per game (169.1), but it has been less productive defensively, ranking second-worst in the FBS with 227.7 rushing yards surrendered per contest.
• Georgia Tech ranks 29th in third-down conversion percentage (44.4%) on offense, but it has been worse on the other side of the ball, ranking 20th-worst in the FBS with a 44.8% third-down percentage allowed.
• After forcing 13 turnovers (20th in the FBS) and turning the ball over 13 times (104th in the FBS) this season, Georgia Tech owns the 67th-ranked turnover margin of 0.

Georgia Tech’s Best Players

• Haynes King has thrown for 1,835 yards (262.1 ypg) to lead Georgia Tech, completing 59.6% of his passes and collecting 17 touchdown passes and nine interceptions this season. He is also a playmaker on the ground, racking up 372 yards (53.1 ypg) on 61 carries with three touchdowns.
• Jamal Haynes has carried the ball 84 times for 465 yards, with four touchdowns. He’s also tacked on 13 catches for 122 yards.
• Eric Singleton Jr. has racked up 355 receiving yards on 20 catches to pace his team so far this season while scoring five touchdowns as a receiver.
• Malik Rutherford has totaled 333 receiving yards (47.6 yards per game) and one touchdown on 28 receptions.
• Dominick Blaylock has racked up 247 reciving yards (35.3 ypg) and one touchdown this season.
• Kyle Kennard has four sacks to lead the team, and also has four TFL, 34 tackles, and one interception.
• Georgia Tech’s leading tackler, Clayton Powell-Lee, has 38 tackles and one interception this year.
• Jaylon King leads the team with three interceptions, while also recording 31 tackles, one TFL, and three passes defended.