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The South Carolina Gamecocks conclude their string of three consecutive home games when they host the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Thursday. This game was moved from Saturday due to concerns surrounding Hurricane Ian. South Carolina (2-2) began the homestand with a 48-7 loss to No. 1 Georgia but followed with a 56-20 romp over Charlotte this past Saturday. South Carolina State (1-2) is wrapping up a season-opening four-game road trip after suffering a 41-27 setback at North Carolina A&T last weekend. The Gamecocks handily won both of their previous meetings with the Bulldogs, rolling to a 38-3 victory in 2007 and a 38-14 triumph two years later.
Kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Gamecocks are 37.5-point favorites in the latest South Carolina vs. South Carolina State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. Before making any South Carolina State vs. South Carolina picks or college football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine college football expert Mike Tierney has to say.
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has converted college football of all levels for decades. He has emerged as one of SportsLine’s leading analysts in all sports and is 13-10 on his last 23 against-the-spread college football picks.
What’s more, he has a keen sense for the trajectory of the Gamecocks. He is 14-1 in his last 15 picks involving South Carolina, returning almost $1,300 to $100 bettors.
Now, the Tierney has set his sights on South Carolina vs. South Carolina State and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for South Carolina State vs. South Carolina:
- South Carolina vs. South Carolina State spread: Gamecocks -37.5
- South Carolina vs. South Carolina State over/under: 55.5 points
- SC: The Gamecocks haven’t posted back-to-back wins since starting 2021 with a 2-0 record
- SCS: The Bulldogs have allowed 106 points in their first three games this season
- South Carolina vs. South Carolina State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why South Carolina can cover
The Gamecocks racked up 545 yards of total offense in their rout of the 49ers last weekend, with 295 coming on the ground. MarShawn Lloyd was South Carolina’s top rusher as he set a career high with 169 yards after gaining a total of 75 over his first three games this season. The sophomore, who also had three touchdown runs, demolished his previous best of 55 yards, which he recorded against Eastern Illinois in his collegiate debut last year.
Christian Beal-Smith also was effective in the Gamecocks’ ground attack, rushing for 55 yards and a pair of TDs. It was the senior’s third career multi-touchdown performance and first since he recorded two against Old Dominion in his 2021 debut. Junior quarterback Spencer Rattler, who spent the previous three years at Oklahoma, had his first interception-free game of the season against Charlotte as he completed 17-of-23 pass attempts for 187 yards before being rested.
Why South Carolina State can cover
Quarterback Corey Fields came up with one of the best performances of his career in Saturday’s loss to the Aggies, throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns. The senior has made four TD tosses in two of his last four outings, also accomplishing the feat in the Bulldogs’ 31-10 victory against Jackson State in last year’s Celebration Bowl. Fields’ favorite target was junior wideout Shaquan Davis, who hauled in six passes for 127 yards and extended his streak to five straight games with a TD reception dating back to last season.
South Carolina State will be hoping for a better effort on the ground as it rushed 22 times for only 12 yards versus North Carolina A&T. Coach Buddy Pough is optimistic about the availability of Kendrell Flowers, who made one catch for six yards but did not have a carry in last week’s contest due to an undisclosed injury. The sophomore running back is averaging 6.5 yards per rushing attempt this season after recording 153 and two touchdowns against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 10.
How to make South Carolina State vs. South Carolina picks
Tierney has analyzed this matchup, and while we can tell you he’s leaning Over on the point total, he also has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins South Carolina vs. South Carolina State? And what crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the South Carolina State vs. South Carolina spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert that has crushed his college football picks, and find out.
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