Old Dominion Monarchs vs South Carolina Gamecocks Betting Pick & Prediction 8/31/24

South Carolina is the heavy favorite in this week one non-conference matchup against Old Dominion, with the point spread set at -20.5. The game is scheduled for 4:15 ET on Saturday, August 31st, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia and will be broadcast on SECN. The over/under line is currently 54.5 points, and the money line odds stand at +871 for Old Dominion and -1828 for South Carolina.

OLD DOMINION MONARCHS VS SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: South Carolina Gamecocks -20.5

This game will be played at Williams-Brice Stadium at 4:15 ET on Saturday, August 31st.

WHY BET THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS:

• We have the South Carolina Gamecocks winning this one by a score of 35 to 13
• Not only do we have the South Carolina Gamecocks winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -20.5
• We see this game finishing below the line of 54.5 points

Will The Old Dominion Monarchs Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

Old Dominion is currently 108th in our power rankings, with a 27.1% chance of becoming bowl-eligible this season. Last year, the Monarchs finished with a 6-7 record, going 2-4 on the road and 4-3 at home. They were the underdog in nine of their 13 games and went 5-4 in those matchups.

Looking at the futures odds, the Monarchs have a 2.2% chance of winning the Sun Belt Conference, with our odds giving them a +3060 longshot to win the title. This ranks them 11th out of the 7 teams in the conference.

Grant Wilson, who threw for 2,149 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for Old Dominion. The Monarchs’ passing game averaged 194.8 yards per game, ranking 89th in the country. Overall, the offense averaged 23.8 points per game, with Wilson finishing the season with a passer rating of 85.8. Old Dominion also brought in Emmett Morehead from Boston College, who threw for 124 yards last season.

On the ground, Old Dominion averaged 153.7 rushing yards per game, placing them 67th in the nation. Devin Roche, who rushed for 191 yards last season, is the top returning running back, and the team also added Aaron Young from Rutgers. In the receiving corps, Kelby Williams returns after recording 451 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season.

Old Dominion’s defense allowed 27.2 points per game last season, ranking them 62nd in the nation. They struggled against the pass, giving up 250.5 passing yards per game, which was 144th in college football. On the ground, they finished 64th, allowing 142.2 rushing yards per game. Quarterbacks had a passer rating of 96.7 against the Monarchs, placing them 129th in the country.

Are The South Carolina Gamecocks Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

South Carolina enters the season with a 61.2% chance of being bowl-eligible, according to their 33rd place ranking in our pre-season power rankings. Last season, the Gamecocks finished with a 5-7 record, going 5-2 at home and 0-5 on the road. They were favored in six of their 12 games, going 4-2 as the favorite and 1-5 as the underdog.

Heading into this season, South Carolina is a +11400 long shot to win the Southeastern Conference, with an implied probability of just 0.4%. Their odds to make it to the SEC Championship game are +4500, with a 2% implied probability, placing them 13th out of 16 teams in the conference.

South Carolina’s passing game averaged 278 yards per game last season, ranking 38th in the country. The Gamecocks also ranked 7th in completion percentage, at 68.7%, and 17th in passing yards per attempt. However, their overall offensive performance was average, as they ranked 64th in the nation with 26 points per game. On the ground, South Carolina struggled, finishing 124th in rushing yards per game and averaging just 88.2 yards per contest.

Heading into this season, South Carolina is looking for a more consistent running game. Oscar Adaway III, who rushed for 738 yards at North Texas last season, has joined the team. The Gamecocks also have quarterback Robby Ashford, who threw for 145 yards last season at Auburn. LaNorris Sellers, who threw for 86 yards and two touchdowns last season, is the top returning quarterback for South Carolina.

South Carolina’s defense allowed 26.3 points per game last season, ranking 43rd in the nation. They struggled against the pass, giving up 246.2 passing yards per game, which contributed to their overall ranking. On the ground, they finished 93rd in rushing yards allowed, giving up 153.8 yards per game. Quarterbacks completed 60.8% of their passes against the Gamecocks last season, and South Carolina will be looking for improvement in these areas going forward.