The Florida State Seminoles and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will open the 2024 college football season on Saturday afternoon with the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Now that Week 0 is finally here, get access to the best welcome offers, the latest odds and expert betting guides at the best Michigan sportsbooks.
These two ACC opponents haven’t played each other since 2022, when the Seminoles beat the Yellow Jackets 41-16 at home in late October. After Florida State’s late-2023 collapse, marked by a season-ending injury to former quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Travis, DJ Uiagalelei now serves as the Seminoles’ starting signal caller.
Will quarterback Haynes King and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets make enough big plays to keep up with Florida State? Or will this duel in Dublin quickly become a one-sided affair?
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Could DJ Uiagalelei finally be the one?
The main storyline of this matchup is how Uiagalelei will play in his first game at Florida State. He transferred to Oregon State from Clemson and is now tasked with leading the nation’s 10th-ranked team into the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Uiagalelei completed just 57 percent of his pass attempts for Oregon State in 2022 and has never gone above 61.9 percent since becoming a full-time starter at Clemson in 2021. The good news is that Uiagalelei faces a Yellow Jackets defense that allowed 31.1 points per game in 2023, ranking 97th out of 133 FBS programs.
Bookmakers have set the Florida State team’s point total at 34.5 with odds of -125 for the under, showing they are hesitant to back Uiagalelei at quarterback since he never recorded a 300-yard passing game last year with the Beavers. This also partially explains why the point spread odds have shifted in favor of the Yellow Jackets since starting at +13.
FanDuel odds: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
The current point spread for Florida State vs. Georgia Tech can be bet at +10.5, which is 2.5 points in favor of the underdog over the last nine days. Florida State remains a clear moneyline favorite at -465 at FanDuel Sportsbook, with odds of -112 on their -10.5 point spread line.
This game will depend on how Georgia Tech plays on both sides of the ball. The Yellow Jackets undoubtedly have more continuity and experience playing together, with quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes and wideouts Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton. However, the Seminoles ranked 18th in opponent points per game (19.3) last year under defensive-minded head coach Mike Norvell. However, Georgia Tech scored over 31 points per game, so they should score enough to make Florida State uncomfortable.
Georgia Tech’s defense needs to improve and could benefit from Uiagalelei’s inexperience in that system as well as a transfer of former Florida State stars Trey Benson and Keon Coleman. After all, the total point odds on Michigan’s betting apps have dropped a full point, from 56.5 to 55.5, since opening eight days ago. However, the arrival of running back Roydell Williams from Alabama is a huge boost to the Seminoles’ backfield.
The Yellow Jackets cannot sting themselves
Turnovers are the second biggest issue in this game. Last year, King threw 16 interceptions and the Yellow Jackets had two or more offensive turnovers in seven of their 12 games.
Projected first-round pick Patrick Payton and Florida State’s defense should continue to hold strong and rescue a newly formed offense that may have some initial teething issues. Uiagalelei was prone to turnovers and failed to complete passes consistently throughout his college career.
There could be some sloppy play in this overseas conference game on Saturday, which makes a case for keeping the total under 55.5. There was a similar situation in 2020 when Florida State lost 16-13 to Georgia Tech. Yes, the personnel is different, but we may see a defensive struggle in Ireland.
Odds and point spread for Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
Staying on the defensive theme, it makes sense to bet on Florida State scoring fewer than 34.5 points overall. The Yellow Jackets have had the entire offseason to prepare for this matchup, and they will take full advantage of the Seminoles’ offensive turnovers.
Another good strategy to increase the odds of winning in this opening game of the 2024 college football season is to use the alternative spread betting market. Specifically, you can bet on Georgia Tech to cover +13.5. Bet -140 on FanDuel to buy a few points and get closer to the opening number, which has been set at +13.
Florida State has failed to cover the spread as a favorite in its last four season openers, and by taking three more points at -140, we’re ensuring that a field goal won’t be the difference, especially if the Yellow Jackets defense can contain Uiagalelei in the air.
Prediction for Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
Expect Florida State to rely on Williams and its revamped offense to back up Uiagalelei in his first start at quarterback. Georgia Tech’s offense could falter as it faces a top-20 defense despite scoring tons of points last year.
The total score under 55.5 is my favorite bet in this matchup. I believe Florida State wins by 10-13 points, taking advantage of Georgia Tech’s mistakes and weak run defense. We could see a lot of time lost by a methodical running game behind Williams and Uiagalelei with the Seminoles offense holding the ball, leading to a final score of 31-20.
