Georgia Tech vs BYU

Georgia Tech comes in at 9-3 after dropping three of its last four, while BYU sits 11-2 with only Texas Tech blemishing the Cougars’ record and a current one-game skid after the Big 12 title game, setting up a contrast between a team stumbling to the finish and another that was on the playoff fringe. With dual-threat Haynes King driving a Yellow Jackets offense averaging just over 33 points per game and Bachmeier piloting a BYU attack that pairs a top-25 scoring defense (19 points allowed per game) with a balanced offense, the Cougars still profile as the more complete team despite losing Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin and backup Sione Moa, which forces them to lean on inexperienced backs who’ve combined for only 143 rushing yards this season. BYU’s defense has held opponents under 330 yards per game, while Georgia Tech has been more volatile on that side of the ball, and the Cougars also have the historical edge, winning three of the four all-time meetings in the series, all of which adds up to BYU being a justified favorite on a neutral field even with some offensive retooling required. Factoring in motivation after a lopsided championship loss, the chance to lock up a top-10 finish, and the matchup between BYU’s disciplined defense and Georgia Tech’s uptempo, turnover-prone attack, I’m comfortable backing BYU on the moneyline at -185, but the price is rich enough that this sits at a solid B rather than an elite value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 11:00

Both offenses have gaudy season-long numbers, but recent form and personnel changes point me toward the under 56.5 at -115, starting with the fact that BYU’s last outing was a 34-7 rock fight loss in the Big 12 Championship and Georgia Tech’s regular-season finale was a 16-9 grinder against Georgia, showing both can be dragged into lower-scoring scripts when facing top defenses. BYU’s stop unit has quietly been one of the most efficient in the country, allowing just 19 points and about 328 yards per game while holding foes to 3.7 yards per rush, and now faces a Georgia Tech offense built around King’s 2,697 passing yards and 922 rushing yards, which will likely prompt a conservative, contain-focused game plan rather than a high-possession track meet. On the other side, the absence of LJ Martin and Sione Moa strips BYU of more than 1,300 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, forcing Bachmeier and versatile playmaker Parker Kingston (team-high 848 receiving yards) to shoulder even more volume through the air against a Jackets defense that just showed real improvement after giving up over 40 points per game in the three contests before the Georgia rivalry game. Add in typical bowl-game pacing—where both staffs can slow things down with extended scripted drives—and the fact that market totals have already ticked down from early numbers into the mid-50s, and an under play earns a B grade: the number is still high enough to allow for a few explosive plays while banking on defensive quality, a short-handed BYU backfield, and recent low-scoring results to keep this under the total. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 11:00

While I like BYU to escape with the win, the spread feels a touch generous to Georgia Tech at +4 (-110), especially given that BYU must replace the conference’s top offensive weapon in Martin and his primary backup, which could flatten the Cougars’ scoring margin and make them more dependent on Bachmeier’s arm in obvious passing situations. Georgia Tech’s offense, driven by King’s dual-threat production and Eric Rivers’ 569 receiving yards, has been explosive enough to hang around in almost every game, and though the Yellow Jackets finished the regular season losing three of four, they just held Georgia’s high-powered attack to 16 points and 260 total yards, suggesting their defense is trending better than the raw season averages indicate. BYU is still the more efficient team overall—ranking top-10 nationally in SRS and boasting a +168 point differential over 13 games—but with both teams well inside the top 25, the historical series only 3-1 in BYU’s favor, and the Pop-Tarts Bowl often producing closer contests than the favorite’s relatively short spread might imply, there’s a strong case that this neutral-site matchup plays as more of a field-goal game than a full four-point separation. Between Georgia Tech’s ability to score in bunches, BYU’s potential offensive step back without its bell-cow back, and the natural letdown risk after the Cougars’ Big 12 title disappointment, I’ll grab the points with the Jackets at +4 as a B+ value, looking for BYU to win but Georgia Tech to cover. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 26/12/2025 11:00