Georgia Tech vs. Northwestern: Point Spread Pick 12/15

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4-5 SU, 3-6 ATS) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (7-3 SU, 5-5 ATS)

When: Sunday, December 15th, 4:00 PM (ET)

Where: Fiserv Forum, WI, Milwaukee

TV: BTN

Point Spread: GTECH +6.5/NW -6.5

Total: 138.5

Money Line: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets +217/-274

Notable Injuries

Yellow Jackets

• Kowacie Reeves Jr. (Questionable) Ankle
• Javian McCollum (Questionable) Concussion
• Darrion Sutton (Questionable) Hamstring

Wildcats

Recent Form

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Recent Game/Games

Georgia Tech fell to 4-5 on the season after a narrow 68-65 road loss to North Carolina on Saturday. Despite being +18.5 point underdogs, the Yellow Jackets kept it close and covered the spread.

Trailing 31-30 at halftime, Georgia Tech scored 35 points in the 2nd half but allowed 37. The game’s total points of 133 fell well short of the 162.5 O/U line.

Northwestern Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Northwestern improved to 7-3 on the season with a 70-66 win over Illinois on Friday, December 6th. The Wildcats were +3 underdogs going into the game but managed to cover the spread with the win. The combined points of 136 fell short of the 143-point O/U line.

After trailing 27-24 at halftime, Northwestern outscored Illinois 32-29 in the second half to secure the victory. The Wildcats’ defense played a key role in the win, allowing just 29 points in the second half.

Analysis

Georgia Tech struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 31.2% from the field and 29.6% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.5%, and they managed only eight assists as a team.

Lance Terry led the way with 22 points, hitting five threes on 13 attempts. Seth Trimble and Baye Ndongo each added 19 points, with Ndongo grabbing 12 rebounds.

Georgia Tech’s defense held their opponent to 68 points, allowing them to shoot 39% from the field. The Yellow Jackets gave up 18 two-point baskets on 35 attempts, a 51% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Georgia Tech limited their opponent to 5 threes on 24 attempts, a 20% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the line 21 times, where they made 17 free throws, shooting 81%. Georgia Tech allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

In their last game, Northwestern managed to score 70 points, shooting just 38.9% from the field. Their three-point shooting was particularly poor, hitting only 4 of 21 attempts for 19%, while their free-throw shooting was 58.8%.

Nick Martinelli led the way with 27 points, shooting 55% overall and 50% from three. Kasparas Jakucionis added 20 points and ten rebounds, hitting 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Northwestern’s defense held their opponent to 66 points, with a field goal percentage of just 38% (28/72). They allowed 47% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team making 24 of 51 shots.

From beyond the arc, Northwestern limited their opponent to 4/21 shooting, or 19%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 10, shooting 58%. Northwestern gave up ten offensive rebounds.

Betting Trends

• Across the Yellow Jackets last three road games, the team averaged 68 points per game while allowing 76. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2 while going 0-3 straight-up.
• Although Northwestern has a straight-up record of 1-4 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 67 points per game in these games.
• The last five games that Georgia Tech was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 0-5 straight up.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 8-2 and an ATS mark of 5-5.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

We have a good non-conference matchup, as Georgia Tech and Northwestern face off in Milwaukee this afternoon. Currently, Northwestern is a -6.5-point favorite over the Yellow Jackets. The Wildcats have been off since December 6th, when they took down an Illinois team that just took Tennessee to the wire. Look for Northwestern to run away with this one, as they cover the spread at -6.5.