South Carolina vs. Georgia Spread Pick
SEC rivals Georgia and South Carolina will clash at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in what is one of the better matchups in Week 2 of the college football season. Are bettors safe to lay double digits on the Dawgs or is the home underdog the better bet?
Game Snapshot
347 Georgia Bulldogs vs. 348 South Carolina Gamecocks
3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Bulldogs are 10-point favorites to beat the Gamecocks. The total, meanwhile, sits at 56 points. As of this writing, 52% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Gamecocks.
Georgia Bulldogs
Pro Football Focus gives Georgia freshman QB Justin Fields a better overall and passing game grade than Jake Fromm in the season-opening win over Austin Peay on Saturday. PFF gave Fields an 88.7 overall grade — 79.3 passing grade — in his limited action during the 45-0 blowout. The five-star recruit completed 7-of-8 passes for 63 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 33 yards on his three carries. The freshman is not expected to take Fromm’s starting job soon still but it’s encouraging to see a good start from the Bulldogs youngster. Fromm — and possibly Fields — face the South Carolina Gamecocks next Saturday.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Draft Analyst’s Tony Pauline notes that South Carolina senior T Dennis Daley has a big test against Georgia on Saturday. Pauline gave Daley a fourth-round grade coming into the season, noting that he showed “next level” stuff in his junior campaign after coming over from a junior college in 2017. He certainly opened on a strong note, but that was against Coastal Carolina. “Against Georgia he’ll be facing defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter and linebacker D’Andre Walker, two defenders who can rush the passer and project as second-round picks,” writes Pauline. If Daley performs well on Saturday, it will be a big boon to his draft status going forward.
Betting Trends
Georgia
The Bulldogs have covered the spread in five of their last six games overall.
South Carolina
The Gamecocks are 7-1-3 against the number in their last 11 conference games.
Prediction
South Carolina has a plethora of weapons on offense that will at least challenge Georgia’s defense for a quarter or two. That said, I fully expect the Bulldogs to frustrate this Gamecocks team with its steady dose of runs that eat clock and keep Jake Bentley and Co. on the sidelines. While it might be enticing to grab the 10 points on a South Carolina team that has plenty of talent and is playing at home, I expect the Bulldogs to eek out a cover in the end.
College Football Week 2 Prediction: Georgia Bulldogs -10