The South Carolina Gamecocks have had a good year. Will Muschamp has this team at 8-3 and they are the second-best team in the SEC East. The defense has been very solid all year long and Jake Bentley has proven to be competent. Now, the Gamecocks get a chance to really make a mark on their season. The Clemson Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the country and are looking to win their fourth straight Palmetto Bowl. Knocking off Clemson would guarantee a good bowl for South Carolina and ruin their rival’s chance of getting to the College Football Playoff.
Watch this regular season Week 13 matchup live on Saturday, November 25, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Clemson -13.5
South Carolina +13.5
Over/Under 46.5
Odds Analysis
Clemson started off the season looking very strong. The Tigers picked up a win over Auburn and then traveled to Louisville and Virginia Tech and knocked off both teams by double digits over the next three weeks. They had some trouble after Kelly Bryant got hurt in the loss to Syracuse but have rebounded recently and covered against Florida State and The Citadel these last two weeks.
The Gamecocks have been a solid team to bet on in recent weeks. Although they couldn’t get the cover against Wofford, they went 4-0-2 ATS against the closing line in their previous five games. Under is 7-4 in South Carolina games this season.
Last Meeting
Gamecocks fans won’t soon forget what happened the last time these teams met. South Carolina got absolutely hammered by Clemson last season in Clemson as Deshaun Watson had a field day against this defense. Watson went 27-33 for 347 yards with six touchdowns in a 56-7 rout in what was one of the biggest wins for the Tigers in the series.
Conversely, it was the worst game of Jake Bentley’s young career. Bentley went just 7-17 for 41 yards and an interception and was pulled from the game because he was unable to get anything done with the ball. All told, Clemson outgained South Carolina 622-218 in this game and left no doubt who the better team was.
This one should be closer than that. Watson is gone and while Bryant is good, he is no Deshaun. Conversely, Bentley has been solid this year and looks like he has grown considerably since last season.
Matchup to Watch
Muschamp has learned from his time at Florida. He is a defensive coach so he loves to run the ball, but he understands that he has to be able to trust Bentley, especially in a game like this.
Clemson has one of the best defensive lines in the game and it’s hard to imagine that South Carolina will be able to move the chains on the ground. The Gamecocks are averaging just 4.1 yards per carry and have really struggled against some of the best fronts all year. Although Georgia is good, there is no doubt that Clemson is the best defensive line this team has faced all season long.
That means Bentley is going to have to take to the air. The Tigers defense has been susceptible to passing teams. Of course, you have to protect Bentley and give him time, but he does have the talent to move the ball on this secondary.
Free ATS Pick
Don’t be surprised if this game is close for a long time. South Carolina has an underrated home crowd and Muschamp has this team playing good football right now. The Tigers are not the unstoppable juggernaut they were last year and this is a few too many points. Look for South Carolina to keep it within a score.
College Football Odds: Clemson 27, South Carolina 20
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