South Carolina Vs. Clemson Odds, Picks, Predictions (11/26/22)

In what was the most shocking result of the week, if not season, we witnessed the Tennessee Volunteers implode in an embarrassing loss to South Carolina and saw their college football playoff aspirations evaporate in thin air. Can South Carolina do it once again and ruin Clemson’s playoff chances when they meet this week? Let’s find out.

South Carolina Vs. Clemson Odds

Oddsmakers don’t think so as South Carolina opened as a +15.5 underdog. While bettors were quick to hammer them, they now sit at the key number of +14.5 with upset potential should Spencer Rattler find lightning in a bottle two weeks in a row.

As for the total, this number has gained steam towards the under since the opener of 56. Now sitting at 52, sharps are aligning on the fact we may see a more defensive display on both ends as Clemson is a step up in quality in comparison to Tennessee while also fielding an anemic offense.

South Carolina Vs. Clemson Prediction & Pick

The Pick: South Carolina +14.5

While it’s easy to fall in love with recency bias after thwarting Tennessee in dominant fashion, I believe that South Carolina can ride that momentum and keep this close as well. If Rattler can play back up to the level of quality that preseason projections once had him at, then they should find success against Clemson’s elite defense.

Once thought of as the number one pick in the NFL Draft, Spencer Rattler’s journey has been about as bad as it could get after losing his starting job at Oklahoma. While he still struggled to get it together this season, throwing for 2,420 yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, it was welcoming to see that his throwing ability was still there when it mattered most.

While Clemson’s defense will be a much larger step up in quality, they come with flaws that Rattler can exploit.

Riding the success of a dominant defensive line, the Clemson secondary has been susceptible to getting beat over the top. Should South Carolina’s offensive line hold their own and give Rattler a clean pocket then he should have little issue finding explosive plays down the field.

As for the defense, it hasn’t been an easy ride for the Gamecocks this season as this is a very bad unit. Lucky for them, Clemson quarterback Dj Uiagalelei has been his own worst enemy and may walk into this one sleepy with the ACC Championship against North Carolina on deck.

South Carolina Vs. Clemson Key Matchups

Can South Carolina establish a run game to bring versatility towards Clemson’s defense? How will SC limit Clemson’s offense?

SC run game vs Clemson rush defense

If you want to find success against an elite defense, then you have to attack them multiple ways to keep them constantly guessing. In order to do that then South Carolina is going to have to find success on the ground.

Since losing MarShawn Lloyd, the South Carolina ground game has been practically non-existent. After Lloyd, their leading rusher is their tight end Jaheim Bell who has rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns. If Rattler can find success early in the air, then this should open up holes for the ground game if they can limit the pressure generated by Clemson’s defensive line.

South Carolina secondary vs Clemson’s pass attack

A major factor towards the under that bettors have been hammering is Clemson’s inability to sustain consistent success on offense. While their ground game has been precise, the pass attack has been lackluster behind the inconsistency of Dj’s arm. 

South Carolina’s ability to limit the pass will be a major factor in covering the number as they need to get Clemson’s offense off the field early and often to give their offense as many chances as possible.

By limiting the pass, Clemson will be forced to go heavier on the run behind the legs of Will Shipley which benefits our cause. Bleed the clock on both ends, limit their weak explosiveness rank, and take shots down the field.

Verdict

Take South Carolina at +14.5 or higher in what will be an intriguing matchup to see if South Carolina can ruin another team’s chances of making the playoffs.