The Volunteers are 3-2 on the season and are on pace to make a bowl game. Their chances will be greatly raised with a win over South Carolina, but this one could be close. The Gamecocks are 4-2 this season and would love to claim this road win, and they will lean on the defense to have their chance.
This contest in Week 7 of the regular season will go down Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 12 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
South Carolina +3
Tennessee -3
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
The betting public is leaning a clear way in this one, with nearly 70 percent of the money on South Carolina to cover the spread. The Gamecocks are also +125 on the moneyline and that’s an intriguing bet for those who think an upset will happen. The Volunteers are listed at -145 on the moneyline to take care of business at home.
The scoring total is lower than most college football games, and the “under” is the more popular choice as most of the bettors believe a defensive battle will break out.
Player To Watch
Jarrett Guarantano —Tennessee’s redshirt freshman will get his first career start this Saturday against South Carolina. Guarantano takes over for junior Quinten Dormady in a move many Vols fans have been anticipating since the start of the season.
Dormady completed 76-of-137 passes for 925 yards with six touchdowns, but six interceptions as the starter for the first five games. The move was expedited by the Vols’ 41-0 loss to Georgia two weeks ago where Dormady was just 5-of-16 for 64 yards with two interceptions.
Guarantano has come in off the bench for Dormady sparingly this season and is 12-of-24 for 54 yards with a touchdown in those appearances. The 6-foot-4 freshman offers more of a mobile option for the Vols behind center, but faces a tough test out of the gate against the Gamecocks stout defense this week and then against the No. 1 team in the country, Alabama, after that.
Key Stat
Three. That’s how many touchdowns South Carolina’s defense scored last week in the team’s 48-22 win over Arkansas. The Gamecocks returned two interceptions for a touchdown and also recovered a fumble and ran it back for a score.
South Carolina finished with four total takeaways against the Razorbacks and also had seven tackles for a loss, seven quarterback hurries and two sacks. The Gamecocks have 13 takeaways, including seven fumble recoveries and six interceptions through six games.
Free ATS Pick
Some computer simulations actually give South Carolina the edge in this matchup, and those are generally pretty trustworthy. Therefore, it makes a ton of sense to either take the Gamecocks to cover the spread or pick them on the moneyline to pick up the road win.
This spread is much more favorable to Tennessee than one would expect, and even if the Volunteers win a close one by a field goal, that would still result in a push. South Carolina is the clear choice to pick in this one, especially against the spread where it can absorb a close loss and still cover.
The “under” is the right call as Tennessee is expected to have a tough time again on offense. The Gamecocks are going to win this game outright on the road as the Volunteers’ woes will continue after a nice start to the season.
College Football Odds: South Carolina 23, Tennessee 20
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