NCAAF Odds, Picks for South Carolina vs. Georgia

Although this week's slate is supremely lacking in marquee matchups, it doesn’t mean we can’t get fired up to place a wager on an SEC battle between South Carolina and Georgia.

The Gamecocks come into this matchup licking their wounds after struggling in their opening game against North Carolina on a national stage before turning around and allowing Furman to find the end zone on three separate occasions.

On the other side, Georgia handled its business against UT Martin and Ball State, averaging 49.5 points per game while allowing an average of just five points in both contests.

To determine if South Carolina will be able to develop some consistent success on either side of the ball, let’s take a look at the odds and make a pick for South Carolina vs. Georgia.

South Carolina has had a less-than-ideal start to its 2023 campaign. The Gamecocks were defeated by rival North Carolina, 31-17, by allowing the Tar Heels to create consistent Havoc on the defensive side. That resulted in QB Spencer Rattler being forced to create outside the pocket.

The Tar Heels' front seven posted a Havoc percentage of 24.6% against South Carolina’s offensive line, which amounted to nine total sacks and 16 tackles for loss.

Although this performance by the Gamecocks' offensive line was more than concerning, Rattler was still able to move the ball down the field, racking up 353 yards through the air with a 76.9% completion percentage.

This ability to create production despite poor offensive line play will be critical against a Georgia defense that's struggled to create Havoc up front through the first two weeks. The Bulldogs rank 73rd nationally in Defensive Havoc despite matchups against inferior opponents.

Look for Rattler and this South Carolina offense to find success against a talented Georgia defense, even if this score gets out of reach early on.

The Bulldogs have been business as usual to start the 2023 season. Georgia and QB Carson Beck rank 34th nationally in Standard Down Explosiveness, resulting in 5.54 points per opportunity on the offensive side.

This efficiency will be catalyzed by a South Carolina defense that ranks outside the top 70 in both Success Rate and Explosiveness Allowed.

In addition, the Bulldogs haven't been afraid to air the ball out to start the season, as they rank 27th nationally in passing play rate, which has them at a respectable 27 seconds per play.

Finding success through the air should come early and often, as the South Carolina secondary has been poor to start the year, ranking 131st in Passing Down Explosiveness Allowed and 110th in Passing Play Success Rate.

Look for the Bulldogs to keep things moving through the air, resulting in a game script that will lend itself to being more up-tempo than some are predicting.

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Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how South Carolina and Georgia match up statistically:

South Carolina Offense vs. Georgia Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	105	11
Line Yards	117	48
Pass Success	41	7
Havoc	127	80
Finishing Drives	109	10
Quality Drives	69	3

Georgia Offense vs. South Carolina Defense

	Offense	Defense	Edge
Rush Success	63	66
Line Yards	78	58
Pass Success	33	106
Havoc	21	130
Finishing Drives	16	43
Quality Drives	27	72

Pace of Play / Other

PFF Tackling	27	24
PFF Coverage	71	32
Special Teams SP+	91	29
Middle 8	85	19
Seconds per Play	24.2 (22)	27.0 (68)
Rush Rate	47.6% (120)	44.3% (102)

Through two weeks, it's clear that South Carolina has multiple issues that need to be addressed on both sides of the ball.

Georgia has plenty of talent to expose these weaknesses, particularly on the offensive side, as Beck has been efficient against two questionable defenses in his first two career starts.

Similarly, South Carolina has utilized Rattler’s athleticism to salvage some surprising offensive production with an offensive line that's underperformed.

As a result, I expect both offenses to find enough success on Saturday to get this game above the posted total, which currently sits at 54.5.

It's important to note that this number has been bet down from its opening of 56.5, so make sure to get the best number as it hovers around the key number of 54.