South Carolina Gamecocks (-4) are entering the Belk Bowl as favorites against the No. 23 Virginia Cavaliers. The opening kickoff for this critical game is set for 12:00 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to ABC.
Betting Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks at Virginia Cavaliers
In this Saturday game, South Carolina is tabbed as the favorite and is currently giving up 4 points. The Gamecocks are also receiving -185 moneyline odds while the Cavaliers are +165. Oddsmakers have determined the over/under (O/U) to be 54.5 points. If the favorite starts trailing in the early stages, it will likely result in a nice in-game betting opportunity.
Early action has leaned in favor of the Wahoos. The line initially opened at 6 and the game’s total was originally set at 55.
The Gamecocks are 7-5 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 0.1 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 7-5.
The Cavaliers are down 0.1 units this season. The team is 8-4 ATS and has an O/U record of 6-5.
The Gamecocks are 7-5 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Cavaliers are also 7-5 SU.
The Gamecocks want to make it two in a row 28-3 win over Akron on December 1. The passing game could’ve been better as Jake Bentley completed only 14 passes on 27 attempts for 199 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Mon Denson (110 yards on 17 rush attempts) and Rico Dowdle (86 yards on 13 carries) led the ground attack while Bryan Edwards (five receptions, 109 yards, one TD) and Deebo Samuel (four catches, 33 yards, two TDs) manned the receiving duties in the win.
Back on November 23, Virginia Tech knocked off this Virginia crew by a score of 34-31. The Wahoos defensive unit allowed the Hokies to eat up the clock by rushing for 254 yards on 45 attempts, including two rush TDs. Tre Turner had a solid outing in the win, recording 43 rushing yards on one attempt, along with 69 yards on four catches for Virginia Tech. For Virginia, Bryce Perkins completed 14-of-29 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Perkins (112 yards on 24 rush attempts) and Jordan Ellis (52 yards on 12 carries, one TD) handled the running game while Olamide Zaccheaus (four receptions, 55 yards) and Joe Reed (four catches, 119 yards, two TDs) led the pass-catching corps in the loss.
South Carolina has run the ball on 51.2 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Virginia has a rush percentage of 58.0 percent. The Gamecocks have produced 162.8 rush yards per game and have 15 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Wahoos are totaling 170.6 rush yards per game and have 18 total rushing TDs.
It appears that the Gamecocks ought to be the more disruptive team in the trenches. Their offensive line has given up just 28 sacks while their D-line logged 26 sacks. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have given up 31 sacks and their defense has sacked opposing QBs on just 28 occasions.
The Gamecocks offense has averaged 277.4 yards in the air overall and has 32 passing scores so far. The Wahoos have recorded 211.9 pass yards per outing and have 23 total pass TDs.
South Carolina has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 194.5 yards and pass for 230.8 yards per game. The Virginia D has allowed 180.1 yards per game to opposing passers and 157.1 yards per game on the ground. The Wahoos are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 4.43 to opposing QBs, while the Gamecocks have allowed a 6.09 ANY/A.
Perkins has completed 182-of-292 passes for 2,255 yards, 21 TDs and nine INTs. Perkins’ adjusted net yards per pass attempt stands at 6.56 for the season and 9.33 over his past two games. In the other locker room, Bentley has amassed 2,443 passing yards on the year. He’s completed 191-of-299 attempts with 22 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Bentley has a 7.35 ANY/A, including 8.46 over the last two games.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Virginia Cavaliers NCAA Prediction
SU Winner: South Carolina, ATS Winner: South Carolina, O/U: Over
Team Betting Trends
- South Carolina, as a team, has produced 4.9 yards per carry over its past three contests and 4.4 over its last two.
- Virginia has averaged 4.7 yards per carry over its last three games and only 4.1 over its past two.
- The Virginia offense has lost nine fumbles this season while South Carolina has let seven get away.
- Virginia has dropped four of its last five games SU, with a 21-point triumph over Liberty on November 10th accounting for the lone win over that stretch.
- The Gamecocks offense has produced 13 pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Cavaliers have put up seven such plays.
- The South Carolina defense has allowed six pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Virginia has given up five such plays.
- The South Carolina offense has created 19 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Virginia has created 15 such runs.
- The Gamecocks defense has allowed 19 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Cavaliers have given up 15 such runs.
- The South Carolina defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times this season. Virginia has produced 23 sacks.
