Clemson vs. South Carolina Spread

Written November 25, 2009 by Kyle Hunter

The in state rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina is a very heated rivalry and this year’s game should be a very good one. Clemson is one of hottest teams in the country as the Tigers have won 6 games in a row and clinched a berth to the ACC title game. South Carolina is just 6-5 and really needs this win in a big way. South Carolina has been very competitive in most games this year, but they have fallen a little short several times. Get an extra $100 to bet on football when you signup for an account at Bodog and make an initial deposit of $100 or more. This is a great way to get started making football picks, while earning a $100 bonus before you even start.

The Clemson Tigers are led by their star running back C.J. Spiller. Spiller has put his name into the Heisman conversation with his play over the last few weeks. Spiller is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and had 7 touchdowns on the season. Andre Ellington has done a great job as the backup tailback too, gaining a very impressive 6.9 yards per carry in limited playing time. Kyle Parker had a slow start to the season, but he has matured nicely through the season and is doing a solid job leading the Tigers as their signal caller. Parker has 8 touchdowns and just a single interception in his last three games. Since Spiller gets so much attention they are sometimes overlooked, but the Tigers defense is a huge reason why they are 8-3 right now. They are allowing only 18 points and 297 total yards per game, which has buoyed a team that had a slow start offensively.

Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina team just haven’t found a consistent offense this year to put them over the top. At times the offense looks great and other times it looks terrible. The offense as a whole is averaging a little less than 21 points per game on the season, which is certainly not very impressive. In their last 5 games the most points they have scored in any single game is 16 points. Stephen Garcia has done pretty well at quarterback for the Gamecocks, but the lack of a running game has hurt the consistency of the offense. Garcia has thrown for 2,607 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. The defense of South Carolina has been pretty good, especially against the pass where they allow only 164 yards per game. The defense has played particularly well at home where they are only surrendering 16 points per game this season.

The college football odds for this weekend show Clemson as a 3 point favorite in this rivalry game. If you are making NCAA football picks on this game these two stats might help you out: Clemson is 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 meetings, and Clemson is 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 games overall.

The Clemson Tigers have more talent than do the South Carolina Gamecocks, but the home field advantage will be big in this one. While this isn’t a must win for either team, it won’t be hard to pump up these players to play against their number one rival. The defenses may flex their muscle in this one as both defenses have proven their strength this year. If South Carolina can stop Spiller and make Parker throw it constantly they may win this one, otherwise Clemson probably takes this game.

I am now 12-3 in my last 15 college football plays! I’m putting together another card full of nice values for this weekend. Check out the premium packages and subscriptions at my handicapping page and remember all the memberships and packages do come with a guarantee.