The South Carolina Gamecocks and No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats will face off on the turf at Kroger Field. Kickoff for this crucialshowdown is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and SEC Network will broadcast the action.
Betting Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats
South Carolina is the road underdog in this SEC game and is currently being given 2 points. The Gamecocks are also receiving +100 moneyline odds while the Wildcats are -120. Judging by how things are lining up, this match will probably present some live betting opportunities.
This game’s line opened at 1, but has recently shifted.
The Gamecocks are 2-1 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 0.0 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 2-1.
The surprising Wildcats are up 8.3 units this season. They’re 2-2 ATS and have an O/U record of 1-2.
The Gamecocks have gone 2-1 straight up (SU), including 1-1 SU against SEC opponents. The Wildcats are 4-0 SU overall and 2-0 SU in conference play.
The Gamecocks are coming off a resounding 37-14 victory over Vanderbilt last week where the defense allowed the Commodores to pass for 192 yards and rush for 92 yards. Kalija Lipscomb had a productive day for the Commodores in that one with 72 yards and a score on nine catches. On the offensive side, Jake Bentley completed 19-of-28 passes for 261 yards, along with one score and a pick. Rico Dowdle (112 rushing yards on 20 attempts, one TD) spearheaded the running attack in the win. Deebo Samuel (seven receptions, 56 yards) and Shi Smith (five catches, 119 yards, one TD) shared the receiving duties.
Kentucky enters this one after just getting a blowout 28-7 win over Mississippi State. The team’s defense held its ground in the victory, limiting the Bulldogs to just 145 passing yards and 56 yards on the ground. Osirus Mitchell was a bright spot in the loss for Mississippi State, accounting for 65 yards on six catches. For Kentucky, Terry Wilson completed eight-of-14 passes for 71 yards and one interception. Benny Snell (165 yards on 25 rush attempts, four TDs) and the signal-caller Wilson (18 yards on 11 carries) spearheaded the ground attack in the win while Lynn Bowden (three receptions, 15 yards) and C.J. Conrad (two catches, 22 yards) led the pass-catching attack.
South Carolina has run the ball on 48.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Kentucky has an overall rush percentage of 66.4 percent. The Gamecocks have run for 196.7 yards/game (including 163.5 per game against Southeastern opponents) and have five scores via handoffs this year. The Wildcats are averaging 269.0 rushing yards per game (266.0 in conference) and have 13 total rush TDs.
It appears that the Wildcats might hold an advantage in terms of RB effectiveness, as their running backs has generated 6.2 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 3.6 to opponents. The Gamecocks have ran for 5.6 yards per carry while allowing 3.9 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Gamecocks offensive scheme has averaged 279.0 yards through the air overall (271.5 per game versus conference opposition) and has eight passing TDs so far. The Wildcats have produced 158.3 pass yards per contest (111 against SEC foes) and have five total pass scores.
South Carolina has allowed opponents to run for an average of 163.0 yards and pass for 168.7 yards per game. The Kentucky defense has allowed 173.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 106.0 yards per game on the ground. The Wildcats are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 3.73 to opponents, while the Gamecocks have given up a 5.06 ANY/A.
Offensively, Bentley has amassed 511 passing yards this season. He’s completed 72 percent of his 57 attempts with five scores through the air and only one interception. He has a 9.42 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 5.60 over the last two games.
Rico Dowdle (217 rushing yards, two rush TDs, 31 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown on the year), Bryan Edwards (100 receiving yards, one receiving TD) and Shi Smith (180 receiving yards, one TD) have each played key roles recently.
Terry Wilson has completed 30-of-48 passes for 300 yards, two TDs and four INTs for Kentucky. His ANY/A stands at a horrendous 2.50 for the year and 3.56 over his last two games.
We also expect the Kentucky offense to spread its attack this Saturday. Benny Snell (465 rushing yards, six rush TDs on the year), Lynn Bowden (111 receiving yards, one receiving TD) and Terry Wilson (161 rush yards, one rush TD, zero receiving yards) have combined for 436 total yards and six touchdowns over the last two games.
When these two squads faced each other a year ago, Kentucky got the victory 23-13.
South Carolina Gamecocks at Kentucky Wildcats NCAA Pick
SU Winner: South Carolina, ATS Winner: South Carolina
Team Betting Notes
- The Kentucky defensive unit has recorded eight sacks on the year while South Carolina has seven.
- Kentucky has lost three fumbles this season while the South Carolina offense has lost two.
- Each team has produced two pass plays of 40 or more yards. The Gamecocks have have made three pass plays of 30+ yards while the Wildcats have created two such plays.
- The South Carolina defense has allowed one pass play of 40 or more yards, while Kentucky has given up zero such plays.
- The South Carolina offense has created five rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Kentucky has created 14 such runs.
- Both defenses have allowed three rushing play of 20+ yards. The Gamecocks have given up 19 running plays of 10+ yards while the Wildcats have given up 11 such plays.
- Kentucky was the underdog by 10 points in its last game and the O/U was set at 56. The under cashed and Kentucky covered in the 28-7 win over Mississippi State.
- Over its last three games, South Carolina is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- South Carolina was the underdog by 2 points in its previous game and the O/U was set at 53. The under cashed and South Carolina covered in the 37-14 win over Vanderbilt.
- South Carolina has averaged 4.8 yards per carry over its last two matchups.
- Kentucky has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over its last two.
