South Carolina Gamecocks vs Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Pick & Prediction Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
South Carolina enters this matchup with a 9-3 record, as do the Illinois Fighting Illini. The game is set for 3:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, with ABC handling the broadcast. The over/under line is 47.5 points, and South Carolina is the -11.5 point favorite in this Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup. Even though Illinois is technically the home team, this game is being played on a neutral site.
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK
The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini +11.5
This game will be played at Camping World Stadium at 3:00 ET on Tuesday, December 31st.
WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:
- We have the South Carolina Gamecocks winning this one by a score of 27 to 20
- Even though we like the South Carolina Gamecocks to win, our ATS pick is to take the Illinois Fighting Illini at +11.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 47.5 points
Will The South Carolina Gamecocks Take Care Of Business As The Favorite?
South Carolina enters Week 1 against Illinois with a 9-3 record. They’ve gone 4-2 at home and 4-1 on the road this season. The Gamecocks are undefeated as favorites, going 5-0, and have a +13.8 average scoring margin.
Against the spread, South Carolina is 8-3, with a perfect 5-0 record on the road and 3-3 at home. As underdogs, they’ve covered in five of six games, holding a 5-1 ATS record.
The over/under line for this week is 47.5 points. South Carolina’s games have averaged 49.4 points, with their average over/under line at 46 points. Their over/under record is 6-5 this season.
South Carolina’s offense is averaging 31.6 points per game, placing them 34th in the nation. They are ranked 42nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 11. Their run game is their strength, with 42.1 rushing attempts per game, ranking 11th, and they average 191.3 rushing yards per game.
Raheim Sanders leads the ground attack with 881 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. South Carolina’s quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, has thrown for 2,274 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 102.
South Carolina’s defense has been strong this season, ranking 11th nationally by allowing just 17.8 points per game. They’ve excelled against the run, giving up only 111.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th in the country.
In their recent game against Clemson, the Gamecocks allowed 14 points and held Clemson to 64 rushing yards on 32 attempts. Through the air, they gave up 262 passing yards on 24 completions.
Will Home Field Advantage Help The Illinois Fighting Illini Upset The South Carolina Gamecocks?
Illinois enters Week 1 against South Carolina with a 9-3 record. At home, they’ve gone 4-1, while their road record stands at 2-2. The Fighting Illini have been favored in just three games this season, going 3-0 in those matchups. Their average scoring margin is +6.8 points per game, and they’ve covered the spread in six of nine games.
Illinois’ over/under record is 3-6, with their games averaging 51 points. This week’s line is set at 47.5 points, slightly below their average line of 48.3 points.
As the favorite, Illinois is 2-1 against the spread, and they’ve gone 4-2 ATS as the underdog. At home, they are 1-1 ATS as the favorite and 2-1 as the underdog.
Illinois’ offense is averaging 28.9 points per game, ranking 46th nationally, and they sit 34th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 1. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has thrown for 2,543 yards with a passer rating of 100, leading the team to a 30th-place ranking in passer rating. Altmyer has 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, while Illinois converts 43.8% of their third downs, ranking 29th.
Illinois is 81st in passing yards per game, averaging 214.3 yards, and they rank 65th in rushing attempts, with 151.8 rushing yards per game. Aidan Laughery leads the ground game with 522 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry. Pat Bryant has 978 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 53 catches.
Illinois’ defense has allowed 22.1 points per game this season, ranking them 28th nationally. In their recent game against Northwestern, they gave up 28 points but also forced three interceptions. Northwestern managed 442 total yards, including 329 passing yards.
Opponents have averaged 221.8 passing yards per game against Illinois, completing 59.6% of their throws. On the ground, Illinois has allowed 151.2 rushing yards per game, with Northwestern rushing for 113 yards on 29 attempts.