2013 ESPN College Football Pick: North Carolina vs. South Carolina
By Drew Sharper
COLUMBIA, SC (The Spread) – No. 6 South Carolina hosts North Carolina tonight in the college football season opener at 6PM ET on ESPN, live from Williams-Brice Stadium.
North Carolina is coming off an 8-4 season in 2012 in which it went 6-6 against the spread. South Carolina went 11-2 last season and was 8-5 against the spread. These two haven’t met since 2007 when South Carolina beat UNC, 21-15.
Odds: The oddsmakers from Bovada.lv have South Carolina as the favorite at home, as the Gamecocks have been given odds of -12 points against North Carolina. The over/under total for the game has been set at 57.5 points.
Line Movement: The opening odds for this game had South Carolina as an 11-point favorite against UNC. The odds hit a low of 10.5 points before climbing to its peak of South Carolina -12. The over/under total opened at a low of 56.5 points and has slowly been climbing up to 57.5.
Public Betting: Of the wagers that have been placed on this game, 71% are going on South Carolina with odds of -12 points against North Carolina tonight. Be sure to click on the public betting link to get the latest odds and betting percentages.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL FREE PICK: North Carolina is just 1-5 against the spread in its last 6 road games, but UNC has covered in four straight Thursday games. South Carolina is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games against ACC opponents. UNC has hit the over in 4 of its last 5 games while South Carolina has hit the over in 5 of its last 6. Despite the impressive numbers South Carolina has put up on defense, Larry Fedora is doing great things with the UNC offense. Look for the Tar Heels to score some points, and in turn, allow some points with its defense. Both teams have playmakers that can break a big play at any moment, so the points should pile up quickly.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 FREE PICK: NORTH CAROLINA/SOUTH CAROLINA OVER 57.5