College Football ATS Picks - North Carolina State at South Carolina Game Preview

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a lot of returning experience on offense in 2017. Now the question is: will that actually lead to points? South Carolina struggled mightily putting points on the scoreboard a season ago and now virtually the same cast will aim to improve, beginning with the season opener against the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

It’s a tough matchup for South Carolina, which has to protect quarterback Jake Bentley in order to get things rolling offensively. North Carolina State is the home team and the slight favorite. Both of these programs are in the middle of the pack in their respective conferences and are hoping to show early on that bowl eligibility will be on the docket for 2017.

This is the type of game between a pair of evenly matched teams that may be a good luck into what’s to come down the road the rest of the year.

Kickoff for this regular season Week 1 game is set for Saturday, September 2, 2017 at 3 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium.

NCAA Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu

South Carolina +4.5

NC State -4.5

Over/Under 52.5

Odds Analysis

The Gamecocks are slight road underdogs, and in a game between a pair of teams with similar talent levels, most of the bettors have taken South Carolina and the points. More than 55 percent of the early action is on the Gamecocks to cover this spread.

The scoring total is lower than most college football projections because neither offensive is super explosive, but the bettors believe it’s a bit too low as 68 percent of the money has come in on the “over.”

South Carolina is +170 on the moneyline, and a majority of the people prefer that bat to North Carolina State straight up. The Wolfpacks pay out at -200 with the victory.

Player to Watch

Bradley Chubb -- The North Carolina State’s defensive end’s decision not to enter the NFL Draft last season is really bad news for the opposing offenses this year. Chubb was among the nation’s best defenders last season and should be even stronger this season.

Chubb had 10.5 tackles as a junior last year and was a proven playmaker. In the Wolfpack’s overtime loss to Clemson last October he finished with eight total tackles and he had three sacks in his team’s win over Notre Dame last year.

He returns to anchor a defense that has nine returning starters. Chubb can be a real disruptive force, especially against an offense like South Carolina’s which really struggled last season.

Key Stat

20.8. That’s the points per game South Carolina averaged a season ago. Brantley was decent, finishing the season throwing for 1,420 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He split time with some others but should have full reign in 2017 as long as he doesn’t struggle.

Running back Rico Dowdle showed some explosion once he got his chance in 2016 and he’s a big reason why this group could be better. Dowdle finished the year with 133 carries for 764 yards and six touchdowns, averaging a robust 5.7 yards per tote.

The Gamecocks may have struggled scoring last year, but bringing back so many players certainly helps the cohesion, and things should be looking up in 2017.

Free ATS Pick

While these teams aren’t the cream of the crop in college football, both programs are looking to take a step forward in 2017. South Carolina finished 6-7 a year ago and with some better effort on offense could improve on that. The Wolfpack went 7-6 and believe a dominant defense can lead the way to more victories.

It will be interesting to see how this matchup unfolds. While the Gamecocks should be improved, look for North Carolina State to control the game with its defense and squeak out a close one, although South Carolina is the choice to cover. The “under” is the smart play as this one could be a slugfest.

College Football Odds: N.C. State 24, South Carolina 21

BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!