Football Betting Odds: Kentucky at South Carolina

Written October 9, 2009 by Hector Garza

The Kentucky Wildcats have taken a beating the last two weeks, playing #1 Florida and then #3 Alabama. They’re looking to break their ACC losing streak when they travel to face Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks, now ranked #25 nationally. Game time is set for 12:30 p.m. EDT this Saturday at William Brice stadium in Columbia. The Gamecocks lead the overall series 16-6-1 and are looking to build on their 4-1 record and the momentum from winning the last 3 games. According to the college football lines, the Gamecocks are the favorite by 9 ½ points playing at home and the total is set at 46.

The Wildcats have done a decent job of putting up points on the scoreboard, averaging 25 ppg with QB Mike Hartline throwing for 60.2%. His weak point has been interceptions, as he’s thrown more than touchdowns (6 to 5). In his defense, he’s faced two of the top defenses in the nation in Florida and Alabama, and South Carolina will be another tough test. His favorite receiver is Randall Cobb, who’s pulled in 21 catches for just shy of 250 yards and 3 td’s. Running the football is Derrick Locke, who’s averaging 4.4 ypc and is a threat receiving and returning the ball on special teams. The Wildcats O-line has done a good job protecting Hartline, who’s been sacked 4 times in 4 games.

The strength of schedule is something to take into account, but the defense hasn’t been getting it done. After shutting out Miami of Ohio, Kentucky has allowed 27, 41 and 38 points against the last three opponents. Another issue this week is that Kentucky will be without both starting CB’s, so the secondary will be tested with new starters. MLB Micah Johnson leads the team with 35 tackles and will need to be a force in the run stop unit on Saturday. The defense has done a decent job with 8 takeaways, but it’s not realistic to expect huge plays out of a banged up secondary. If you bet college football and want a great bonus, try the $500 match bonus at BetUS.

South Carolina biggest victory of the season came against then ranked #4 Mississippi in a 16-10 battle. They rolled over SC State last week 38-14, and the offense has been churning out 27.2 ppg for a total of 372.2 ypg. While there’s no standout, QB Stephen Garcia has done a good job limiting turnovers (2 interceptions) while throwing for 6 td’s and over 1,000 yards. The Gamecocks established a strong rushing game last week amassing 213 yards on the ground alone. However, success running the ball is harder to come by against SEC opponents, and RB’s Jarvis Giles (231 yards) and Brian Maddox (3 td’s) will be tested.

The Gamecocks are ranked #14 nationally in total defense, and have limited opponents to 16.8 points and under 265 ypg. The unit has tallied 9 takeaways in 4 contests thus far and will be looking to force Hartline into some bad decisions. Eric Norwood is the man running the show, and he has accounted for 6 of the 14 sacks along with two interceptions. He also leads the team in tackles with 30, and he’s claimed the all time sack record for the school. It will be interesting to see how the Kentucky O-line, who’s had success protecting their QB, game plans for Norwood.

Both of these teams have experience against top 10 opponents and have the potential to win the ball game. South Carolina’s defense and playing at home give them an advantage, but if Hartline can get on a roll, Kentucky can put up the points. The Wildcats can easily keep this game close if the defense is up to the task.

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