It's a tale of two teams going in opposite directions as Georgia Tech visits Florida State. Georgia Tech is 8-4 this season and just suffered a loss in the championship game of the Diamond Head Classic over the holidays. Florida State is in a slump and has just a 6-6 record through 12 games. It is time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Georgia Tech-Florida State prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Despite the 8-4 record, Georgia Tech believes they have another level they can reach. Head Coach Damon Stoudamire said, “We have a lot to build on. I like where we're headed. We've got to get some rest and come back and just keep getting better. To me, it's just a process. We're nowhere near where I want to be. We're still in the infant stages, and we've just got to continue to get better in practice and translate that to the game.” Freshman Baye Ndongo is a big reason for Georgia Tech's form, averaging 18 points and 9.3 rebounds in the three Hawaii tournament games. Georgia Tech already boasts a win over Duke, showing they can compete with the elite in the ACC.

Florida State has lost five of their last seven games, including an embarrassing nonconference loss to Lipscomb on December 30th. A disappointing trend for the Seminoles is that they have been the favorites in five straight games and are 0-5 against the spread. This includes three outright losses to Lipscomb, SMU, and South Florida. The team has struggled after keeping a close game with North Carolina. Florida State is winless on the road but hasn't fared much better at home with a 4-3 record.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Georgia Tech-Florida State Odds

Georgia Tech: +4.5 (-115) ML (+152)

Florida State: -4.5 (-105) ML (-184)

Over: 143.5 (-115)

Under: 143.5 (-105)

How to Watch Georgia Tech vs. Florida State 

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: ACC Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Georgia Tech Will Cover The Spread

There's an intriguing trend going into this game that you may want to consider. Georgia Tech is currently a 4.5-point underdog going into this matchup. They have been underdogs in four straight games and have won three of those four games outright. If this is too small of a sample size, we can look back at their last eight games and see they have won six. They have been the underdogs in all six games, including wins over Duke and Mississippi State.

Georgia Tech isn't the only team with intriguing trends against the spread. Florida State has been the favorite in five straight games, and they have lost three of those games outright and failed to cover the spread in any of them. Dating back to November 29th, when they lost outright to Georgia, that is four of their last six games where they lost as favorites. They are 1-6 against the spread as favorites in their past seven games.

So, does this mean that the oddsmakers are undervaluing/overvaluing both teams? If you think that the oddsmakers still haven't caught up with the form of both teams, it may be worth backing Georgia Tech to keep these trends going.

Why Florida State Will Cover The Spread

It's hard to believe that Georgia Tech is managing to win games when looking at its statistical output. They are 263rd in scoring, 308th in field goal percentage, and 332nd in three-point shooting. Their free-throw shooting is 286th, and they turn the ball over 13.2 times per game. Their best statistic is being ranked 22nd in rebounds, which helps them on the offensive glass with all the missed shots. Georgia Tech's defense is also below-average in scoring with a rank of 184, but they are top-75 in shooting percentage allowed categories. Their interior game is the anchor of their team, as they rank 41st in blocks.

Florida State ranks better than Georgia Tech in all the categories above except rebounds and blocks. Florida State is getting in trouble because of its propensity to get in foul trouble. The Seminoles rank 331st in the country with 20.2 personal fouls per game. They have been allowing opposing teams easy points at the charity stripe, but lucky for them, Georgia Tech is a team that will struggle to take advantage of that.

Final Georgia Tech-Florida State Prediction & Pick

The trends that lean toward Georgia State are almost impossible to ignore. When the oddsmakers keep getting fooled, you want to jump on before it's too late. That may be what they want you to think in this matchup. Florida State is still favored in this matchup because they beat Georgia State in almost every statistical category and get the home-court advantage. You have to ignore the trends in this matchup and follow the statistics. Georgia State will win the rebounding battle, but their offense won't be able to capitalize enough to beat the Seminoles. Florida State needs to get back on track, and Georgia State is due to return to earth. This is the perfect opportunity and situation for both things to happen.

Final Georgia Tech-Florida State Prediction & Pick: Florida State -4.5