Halfwits and Wagers: Georgia Tech

Prognosticators. Pundits. Sharps. Squares. Idiots. Call us whatever you'd like. We figured what better place to toss around harebrained opinions loosely based on factual evidence and statistics than The Key Play? This season, Pierson and I will be previewing each game around betting lines — both real and made up.

As crazy as it sounds, this is our tenth fake gambling column of the season. And for our many fans who've asked us to tally our picks to see which of us is more accurate, just assume Pierson's beat me on every one.

One of us bet a three team parlay last weekend and was wrong on all three bets. ALL. THREE. DAMN. BETS. Do you know how hard that is to do? Any time you bet a parlay you're supposed to bet games you're locked in on, so missing all of them is a historic example of bad gambling. I'll let you guess which one of us it was.

(Cough, it wasn't Pierson, cough.)

Anyways, let's just get to the lines before I log into my Bovada account again.

Over/Under 375 yards for Georgia Tech.

Brian: Over. I know Paul Johnson's archaic offense hasn't been up to snuff this season, but think about the most important positions Bud Foster uses to defend it. Smart play from the mike, big hitting from the rover, defensive tackles who eat up blocks and an explosive x-factor. Right now, they have one of those four checked off the list. Defensive tackle is fine, especially if Corey Marshall can come back and contribute. But other than that? Dadi Nicolas was successful last year as the explosive playmaker, but he's playing with claws for hands. Mike play has been suspect at times, and the best rover on the team (Adonis Alexander) has been missing ever since the Duke game when he LINED UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FIELD.

So yeah, there are some holes to fill and some Hokies that will need to adjust to this system. And while they do, I bet there'll be yards to be had.

Pierson: Under. Aside from what can only be termed an "offensive explosion" against Pitt and an "aerial assault" against the Hoos, the Bees have been held well under this total by Power 5 teams. I always worry about GT's ability to hit the big play, and the Hokie front seven hasn't exactly been superb thus far. With that being said, Lefty's offense looks better than in recent years, and with all of the injuries to CPJ's beloved backfield it wouldn't surprise me if Georgia Tech is forced to throw more than 18 times to get back in the game. The GT passing game can get after ya when it takes you by surprise, but it is hardly as effective when they're behind the sticks or behind on the scoreboard.

Over/Under 3.5 turnovers between the two teams

Brian: Over. The Jackets are really only good at one thing defensively, turning teams over, and have a tendency to put the ball on the ground (they lose about one fumble a game). Combine that with my inability to shake last year's three-interception debacle from Michael Brewer and this one seems easy to me.

Pierson: Over. Justin Thomas has been chucking the pill all over the yard this season, which is usually a bad sign for a CPJ offense. Aside from a devastating drive last year in Lane, Georgia Tech quarterbacks typically struggle when they're forced to throw and the defense knows what's coming. Factor in the inexperienced A-backs and the ever-present possibility of an errant toss and 3.5 turnovers seems achievable. And that's just focusing on the Bees...

Rank the following players from most receptions to fewest: Isaiah Ford, Cam Phillips, Bucky Hodges, Ryan Malleck, Sam Rogers, Travon McMillian

Brian: Man, with Brewer back at quarterback who the hell knows. We all got a comfortable helping of Ford during Brenden Motley's fill-in time, but since Brewer's been back he's spread the ball around much more effectively. If I had to guess, Ford stays on top and it goes Ford, Hodges, Phillips, Malleck, Rogers, McMillian. But any of the receivers and tight ends have a shot to end up on the top of this list.

Pierson: I guess it was time to retire the Shane Beamer Wheel of Destiny with the Zohn Burden Wheel of Destiny, eh? Georgia Tech's front seven has really struggled to create stops behind the line of scrimmage, leading me to believe that Michael Brewer could find plenty of time to go through his reads and find an open man. But then again, you never know with Tech's offensive line. That increased potential for downfield throws is leading me to a Ford, Hodges, Phillips, Malleck, McMillian, Rogers line.

Over/Under 1.5 players to throw a pass for Virginia Tech

Brian: Are you kidding? With Scot Loeffler probably coaching for his next job? He won't be able to help himself! I must admit, it's not even exciting anymore when a non-quarterback pulls up to throw. For me, it died when Ford checked down to Brewer for a 14-yard gain. I mean come on, who wants responsibility on trick plays? Give me an attempted chuck downfield or give me nothing! I don't want a team full of responsible Sam Rogers!

Pierson: Under. I think it's Brewer's show barring another injury. Would I be surprised if Lefty uses some trick play(s) early to show off on national television try and catch the defense on its heels? Absolutely not. But I think the ball goes through Brewer from hereon, as the margin for error will be razor thin until the clock hits zero against UVa.

Over/Under 21.5 carries for Travon McMillian.

Brian: So the freshman had 33 carries against Boston College, the most snaps Shane Beamer's given one player since he played on the punt squad in '99.

(Side note: That's probably not true)

As a former quarterback, McMillian strikes me as someone who's going to fight to get on the field for every snap. Not that others at his position wouldn't do the same thing, but he may be a little quicker to tell Shane to give him the damn ball. I think he gets it again, and he gets over 25 carries for the third straight time.

Pierson: Over. Based on Lefty's comments earlier this week, I think the staff will try to keep his touches down as much as possible. Will that number dip below 22? Possibly. The Bees have given up 200-plus yards to five of their last seven opponents, and you have to believe that Shane is salivating at the opportunity to give J.C. and Trey some run. How the staff ultimately balances the carries is up in the air, but I am optimistic the Hokies jump out to a lead and begin to turn to a ball control offense that relies on the running game and the Hokies' new bell cow.

Over/Under 24.5 points needed for a Virginia Tech victory.

Brian: Over. For whatever reason I think this is going to be a bit of a shootout, with a few more points than last year's game. That also means I think the Jackets will hit 24, which I say they finish with. If the Hokies want to win, Michael Brewer and crew need to carry on the offensive performance displayed over the past two weeks.

Pierson: Over. The Hokies have won six of the last eight games in this series, scoring more than 24.5 points in half of those wins (each of which occurred prior to 2012). I think we can all agree that this year's offense is markedly more dangerous than in years past. When you take into account the rash of injuries that have absolutely decimated CPJ's roster, I feel pretty good about the Hokies' ability to score 25 points and escape Hotlanta with the dubya.

True/False: 10.5 tackles for Andrew Motuapuaka

Brian: Bud Foster said this week that the mike position has been critical to the way they've attacked the Yellow Jackets in the past, and he's not lying. Jack Tyler had 35 tackles in his three starts against the option, and Chase Williams had 17 in last year's game alone. This seems destined for the obvious over.

But Motuapuaka has only racked up double digit tackles once this year, and has drawn the ire of of many with his play. Will Bud use a slightly different formula this year? He has done it before, like when he used Kyle Fuller as a one man wrecking machine in 2013, and I bet he does now. Under for Motu, possibly over for Deon Clarke or Chuck Clark.

Pierson: So here's the deal: I'm completely flummoxed by this line. Part of me is encouraged by Moto's strong play in recent weeks. He has been considerably more active in recent weeks, and continues to make big plays when the opportunity arises. Then there's the rational part of me that can't turn off the constant loop of game tape showing Moto getting caught up in traffic and hesitating against Ohio State.

One of the main reasons guys like Barquell Rivers, Jack Tyler and Chase Williams found success against Georgia Tech was their natural instinct to play downhill and attack the hole on each and every play. I'm not 100% sure that's inherent to Moto. Thursday will be a big stage for him and an opportunity to prove that he's turned a corner. I'm going to give my rational side the finger and pick the over, because I believe.

Matchup Over/Under: 53 Points

Brian: Over. This is a tough one, but if I had to guess (which, spoiler alert, is what I've been doing for the last nine weeks) there'll be more scoring. A few busted plays by both teams should lead to touchdowns and while I'm predicting a 28-24 win for the Hokies (a total of 52 points for the math impaired), I think it's more likely to be higher scoring so I'll just assume I'm wrong and bump it up to hit the over.

Pierson: Under. This matchup has topped the 53 point mark once since 2006. Though CPJ's triple option offense always has the ability to break a couple of big plays and put up points, Bud Foster has historically done a solid job of keeping the Bees in check. I worry about the young secondary's ability to tackle in space, but I have faith that the experienced d-line will create havoc at the point of attack.

Spread: Georgia Tech (-3.5)

Brian: I need to stop picking the Hokies to cover, and I need to stop picking them to outright win. But I'm going to do it again here. It'll be a close one, but Frank Beamer's team will come off a long week rested and revitalized, and as long as they don't come out too excited and commit bad penalties early on they should win.

Pierson: For the second straight week, I'm taking the Hokies OUTRIGHT for all of the reasons I stated above. Games against the Bees are always close and always painful to watch. Get ready to scream at your television a lot, with equal parts frustration and exhilaration. Get ready to scream at CPJ and his stupid face even more. And get ready for a YUGE Hokies victory in the ATL.

Disclaimer: Some of these are real betting lines, but many of them are fake and none of this is real advice that should be taken seriously.