For the second time in the last three seasons, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the South Carolina Gamecocks will open up the season against each other. Back in 2013 though, these two played at Williams Brice Stadium, and the Heels were given little chance to succeed. This year at a neutral site, many are giving UNC a shot at a big upset.
WHEN SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THE BALL
The Tar Heels are certainly going to be handicapped by their defense just a bit. The good news is that Gene Chizik has come to Chapel Hill to be the new defensive coordinator of the club, which bodes well considering his strong history against Steve Spurrier, the offensive mastermind for the Gamecocks.
Live bettors should know that a big play is always a play away against this North Carolina defense, one which allowed an ACC-worst 31 touchdown passes a year ago.
However, does South Carolina have anyone who can throw the ball? Connor Mitch won the starting job, but it wasn't because he looked so fantastic in the spring and the summer. He more or less was just the best option. We doubt that he will be as good as Dylan Thompson was last year, and that's not saying much considering the fact that against legit teams last year, the SC offense normally shriveled.
Spurrier still has that gambling mentality in him, but we suspect we'll see a lot of Brandon Wilds in this game, which should slow down the offense as well and promote an under game as well.
WHEN NORTH CAROLINA HAS THE BALL
Under? We don't need no stinking unders! North Carolina's offense doesn't know the meaning of the word under.
The Tar Heels return 10 starters from an offense which was flat out awesome last year. Yes, Marquise Williams and the crew fizzled out down the stretch, scoring just seven points against N.C. State and 21 against Rutgers to finish out the season, but we know that 40 points is going to be possible in every game this team plays this year.
If there's one sign point towards the under in live betting though, it's that Larry Fedora wants Williams to run the ball less after leading the team in rushing in 2014. That could mean a few more looks out of the backfield for T.J. Logan, Elijah Hood and Romar Morris, the team's three running backs.
South Carolina's defense is along the defensive line, where the team had just 14 sacks and 52 tackles for loss last year, ranking No. 118 and No. 121 respectively in the nation. Matters aren't improved yet as we see it with seven new defensive linemen coming in with little to no experience.
If the Tar Heels get rolling, touchdowns can hit the board in a hurry. However, with a number like 63 on the board, a number which is dropping dramatically after getting as high as 66 earlier in the week, even five-minute touchdown drives are good for under backers.
TREND TO TRACK
Even for as hot as their offense was at the end of last season, North Carolina still played five of its last six games under the total. The problem came from the oddsmakers hanging numbers which were just far too high. Keep in mind that UNC scored 40+ points in two of those games, and the Duke 45-20 game still wasn't good enough to reach the figure.
The college football betting lines and props for this clash were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The South Carolina Gamecocks were laying 2.5-points, while the total first appeared at 63.5. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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