On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs and the South Carolina Gamecocks square off in an early meeting between two of the top contenders in the SEC East. Has South Carolina regained their bearing completely after opening its season with a humiliating defeat? The game against Georgia will be the perfect test for the Gamecocks, who are now trying to prove that they deserve the lofty expectations thrown at them in the preseason. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, barge into Williams-Brice Stadium looking to eke out their second-straight victory against a Top 25 program.
There are other games to watch out for in Week 3. Click here to read the preview of Texas Longhorns-UCLA Bruins.
[sc:Football ]Georgia Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
When: Saturday, September 13, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Georgia Bulldogs (-6) at South Carolina Gamecocks (+6) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Georgia Bulldogs
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Bulldogs climbed from no. 12 in the preseason rankings to no. 6 in Week 2 after a 45-21 demolition job of then no. 16 Clemson Tigers on August 30. Dating back to last season, the Bulldogs are 3-1 in their last four games overall. They also keep an identical 3-1 ATS record in those contests.
Up ahead for Mark Richt’s team is its first conference game against fellow SEC East contender, South Carolina, which the Bulldogs beat 41-30 last season as 3.5-point home favorites. However, quarterback Aaron Murray, who guided the team in that game on the strength of his 309 yards and four-touchdown effort is now in the NFL. Taking over the playmaking reins is fifth-year senior QB Hutson Mason. Mason was steady but not spectacular last week against Clemson, completing 18-of-26 passes for 131 yards without a single TD to show.
Although Mason will face a Gamecocks’ defense that allowed 511 passing yards to Texas A&M in Week 1, he’ll still be in for a long day against South Carolina if his pair of targets, wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell (knee) and Justin Scott-Wesley (knee, ankle), will miss the game.
That said, running back Todd Gurley should be expected to carry again most of the offense’s load for the Bulldogs. The Heisman Trophy candidate exploded for 198 rushing yards with three TDs versus Clemson.
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Betting on the South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina bounced back from a humiliating Week 1 52-28 loss to the Aggies, as the Gamecocks beat the East Carolina Pirates, 33-23. The win improved the Gamecocks’ record to 9-1 in their last 10 games at Williams-Brice Stadium.
After being torched for 680 total yards by Texas A&M on August 28, the Gamecocks defense tightened and reduced that number to just 453 against the Pirates. There was also more activity on offense than in the first game, especially on the ground, where Mike Davis laid waste on East Carolina’s defense by rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Davis could only muster a pathetic 15-yard rushing performance versus Texas A&M, the same game where the Gamecocks managed just 67 rushing yards.
Davis will be an important weapon for the Gamecocks against the Bulldogs, who have shown they could effectively disarm opposing teams’ rushing attack when they held Clemson to a modest 88 rushing yards.
The confidence Davis earned against East Carolina should serve him well on Saturday, but if the Gamecocks’ rushing offense do find it difficult to carve their way through Georgia’s front seven, then they will have to get more from quarterback Dylan Thompson and the receivers to take some load off the team’s backfield.
Thompson passed for 266 yards with a touchdown against the Pirates. The quarterback had more success in the first game, albeit in a loss, throwing for 366 yards and four TDs versus the Aggies.
The Gamecocks are 4-1 ATS in five meetings with Georgia since 2009.
Writer’s Prediction
Georgia wins, but the Gamecocks cover.
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