Selling: Clemson deserves to be favored vs. South Carolina
I was a bit surprised to see Clemson as a favorite vs. South Carolina per most sports books when that line opened Sunday. The Tigers are at home, yes, but they’re dealing with well-documented offensive line issues and will now be tasked with facing one of the most disruptive defensive fronts in the country.This strikes me as a major matchup problem for the Tigers, and I’m not sure they have the talent in other areas to make up for their shortcomings up front. The Gamecocks’ offense has proven itself to be elite during November and its defense has caused havoc consistently all season.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s offense has struggled mightily anytime it has faced a competent defense.
There’s also the matter of special teams. Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks have a very strong special teams unit, as you’d expect considering the head coach’s pedigree. On the other side, Clemson’s special teams unit ranks outside of the top 100 nationally, per SP+. Perhaps more to the point: Clemson has already had 8 kicks blocked this season. That’s frightening, especially going into a matchup against a member of the Beamer family.
Actionable bet to consider: South Carolina +2.5 (-110 via bet365)
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