One of the most popular college football betting bowls throughout the years has been the Chick-fil-A Bowl and that is the case again this year as the bowl in Atlanta, Georgia has sold out for the 13th straight year. This game on Thursday matches up #12 Virginia Tech against Tennessee. While it would seem that the Hokies would be the choice in this game, they have traditionally struggled against SEC teams.
Virginia Tech is a 5.5 point favorite at SBG Global with a total of 49.5
The Hokies are 0-4 against the SEC since the 2004 season so they have something to prove in this game. “There’s no denying that,” Virginia Tech defensive backs coach Torrian Gray said, “It’s something we want to prove: Hey, we can beat an SEC team. We can compete with them and play with them and beat any or all of them.” Earlier this season the Hokies lost 34-24 to Alabama.
The Volunteers don’t seem too worried about the SEC-ACC thing. “I don’t think the records of conferences have anything to do with anything as far as bowl games, because it doesn’t matter,” Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin said, “This is Tennessee versus Virginia Tech.”
Virginia Tech is really focused on winning this game against an SEC team. They are not happy about losing bowl games in 2004 to Auburn and in 2006 to Georgia. Add in a blowout loss to LSU in 2007 and the Alabama loss this year and the Hokies really want a win versus an SEC team. “It’s always great to be playing for your conference, but for me it’s a little more personal,” senior tight end Greg Boone said, “We’ve played three SEC teams since I’ve been here — Georgia, LSU and Alabama — and gone 0-3. As a senior, I really want to go out with a win.”
Here are the college football betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog. The Volunteers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games.
The Hokies are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a favorite. The Hokies are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.
The Under is 5-0 in the Volunteers last 5 Bowl games. The Under is 5-1 in the Hokies last 6 games overall.
