Seminoles vs. Yellow Jackets: ATS Pick | Week 0 Betting Preview

Florida State Seminoles (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0-0, 0-0 ATS)

ACC Season Opener in Dublin

There is a lot to unwrap here beyond the make-up of the two teams, taking place in Dublin’s faraway destination. Still, it’s going to be the same for both teams. We see Florida State as a robust favorite, and it makes sense for a team that rightfully felt jilted on some levels being shut out of the College Football Playoff picture at the end of last season after a 13-0 run under head coach Mike Norvell. Still, some shifting personnel has some doubting a repeat of that excellence. On top of that, we saw the Yellow Jackets under first-year head coach Brett Key have a nice little uptick season in 2023, going over .500 and winning a bowl game, two things that hadn’t happened to them in a season in nearly a decade.

Getting DJ Uiagalelei Going

With a slew of departures including QB Jordan Travis, it’s nice the ‘Noles were able to secure the steady hand of the well-traveled Uiagalelei, a former starter at both Clemson and at Oregon State last season. A capable passer, Uiagalelei is also nimble and solid to help make Florida State more of a running-force behind that nice offensive line. With backs like Holmes, Toafili, and Williams, Uiagalelei has a lot of nice things to lean on as he makes his transition to yet another program. It’s not an easy spot for the quarterback, coming into a new system and having to do so across the pond. With that double-digit spread and against a decent Yellow Jackets squad, an FSU backer in this spot would like to see this offense get off to a fast start.

There could be some credence that this would be a more-desirable spot later in the season for the Seminoles. Georgia Tech has some question marks and are far from an established force in their own right, but they could be sneaky-good this season—tough in the trenches, while returning a lot of key pieces on offense. It’s a plump spread in conference, along with a road-trip that is tough enough on professional athletes, let alone college kids. Again, both teams face the same rigors, but it’s the Seminoles needing to cover the big number. A lot of moving pieces for Florida State, the newness of a season and the exotic site of this game could have a way of narrowing the gap that might exist between these two teams as the season gets older.

The Georgia Tech Path to Success

You never like to base a winning case on anything that starts with things they don’t do well, but a positive outlook on Georgia Tech could include the conditions at play. If you’re taking the Yellow Jackets with the points, you’re hoping the long travel and new look on both sides of the ball for the Seminoles help tip this more in your favor. This is a time when you’re looking for a little help, as this is far from a conventional ACC spot. But that’s far from the only angle.

Quarterback Haynes King really helped this Georgia Tech offense become more versatile since coming over from Texas A&M. Now, in his second season under Key, he lends a real aerial flair to an offense known for running, coming off a 27-TD season. This also might not be the worst spot to see the multi-pronged GT running game take hold, led by RB Jamal Haynes and a handful of talented backs. With Haynes helping open things up a bit with his passing game, maybe they can get some of these running-schemes rolling and control the tempo of this game in spots.

Advantages for FSU

Player departures aside, this is still a strong Seminoles team well-coached by Mike Norvell that has an axe to grind this season and should be ready to go. It’s one thing to have all these ideas of what the Yellow Jackets might do or could do, but they still have to deal with a strong defense. And with that front populated by the likes of Quindarrius Jones and Patrick Payton, that GT offensive line will be greatly tested and Haynes could find himself in a less-than-clean pocket. Coming off a 16-INT season, this defense could put him in some of those situations we saw last season where things get a little shaky for the Georgia Tech field general. There is also a flip side to that coin where Haynes lets it fly a little in the underdog role and puts some pressure on this FSU team. This is a Yellow Jackets team that finally has some of the aerial weaponry to make that a strong possibility.

Take the Points

It’s just that when you look at the double-digit favorites available as we begin the college football schedule, there are certainly teams with fewer obstacles in their way than the Seminoles this week. The surprise that would register here with a thorough beating of Georgia Tech by Florida St. would be zero. But you’re still dealing with newness, travel, an upstart opponent, and a Florida State offense that at least looks to be entering the season with a more run-heavy style that might not be ideal for covering big numbers or if the situation arises, coming back from point-deficits to cover. I’m going to take the Yellow Jackets.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread:

I’m betting on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets plus 10 points.