by Chuck Sommers
Thursday, Sep 16, 2021
Game time: 7 p.m. ET, Sept. 18, 2021
Venue: Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA
Where to watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Georgia -31.5; O/U 47.5; Georgia -10000, South Carolina +2400
BetMGM: Georgia -32;O/U 47.5; Georgia -10000, South Carolina +2500
Caesars: Georgia -31.5; O/U 47.5; Georgia -10000, South Carolina +2500
Season record
South Carolina: 2-0
No. 2 Georgia: 2-0
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South Carolina - Georgia preview and analysis
Recent form
South Carolina: won 20-17 at East Carolina on Sept.11
Georgia: won 56-7 vs. UAB on Sept. 11
Poor Shane Beamer. You have to find some form of encouragement somewhere.
But to believe that the narrow 3-point victory against the East Carolina Pirates will prepare the South Carolina Gamecocks for a matchup with the No. 2-ranked team in the country, we might want to crown the Pirates now.
The Georgia Bulldogs are not East Carolina. Hence why Georgia is nearly five-touchdown favorites as it begins SEC play.
“They had 20 returning starters coming back off last year’s team,” said Beamer on the Paul Finebaum Show. “We knew what to expect. We prepared our guys for it all along. For me, it was just learning what a bunch of fighters we have on this team.
“I think there’s a lot of teams in college football that would’ve lost that game; being down 14-0 early, turning the ball over as many times as we did in the first half. … Obviously we know that Georgia is not East Carolina. We’ve got an unbelievably huge challenge this week, but I did learn that we’ve got a bunch of guys on our team that will never flinch.”
I mean, that’s admirable. But it won’t be enough for a win this week.
The Bulldogs have won five of the last six meetings coming in, going 4-2 against the spread. But if you’re hoping for some hope in the form of South Carolina, the home team is just 1-4 straight up in the past five.
For that to happen, whomever the starting quarterback will be -- Stetson Bennett or JT Daniels -- will need to be an interception machine and commit an absurd number of turnovers. Head coach Kirby Smart isn’t sure who will be under center Saturday. Bennett is dealing with lower-back issues after his record-breaking performance against the UAB Blazers last Saturday, going 10-of-12 for 288 yards and five touchdowns.
Daniels, the incumbent starter, is healing from an oblique strain that forced him to sit out the UAB game.
Not ideal for QB 1 and 2 to be on the injury report, but the Georgia offense will be just fine for as long as that defense stays healthy. This is the same Georgia defense that held the Clemson Tigers to three points and recorded seven sacks in the season opener. They literally play like Dawgs.
While South Carolina has put up 33 points per game this season, Georgia isn’t Eastern Illinois or ECU. Georgia is a perennial power that is prepared to run over teams with its tenacious defense and will likely destroy any opponent in front of them. We should all pray for Zeb Noland this week.
Prediction
Going on the road to Athens and asking South Carolina to keep this close is a death wish. The Bulldogs, no matter who is at quarterback, should be confident to have enough offense to put up points and win this game comfortably. South Carolina needs to show something beyond those first two opponents, but it won’t be this week. Georgia by 35
Betting trends
South Carolina is 4-11 ATS as an underdog in its last 15 games.
Georgia has won 10 of its last 11 as a home favorite.
Players to watch
South Carolina: If the Gamecocks’ offense wants to have a productive day, it’s going to need big numbers from leading receiver Josh Vann. He has 143 yards and a touchdown, but only seven catches. Noland will need to find him often.
Georgia: Jermaine Burton is the other big-play receiver that’s not named Brock Bowers. He has 103 yards on five catches this season; his longest being a 73-yard score.
Statistical leaders
South Carolina:
Passing: Zeb Noland -- 335 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: ZaQuandre White -- 136 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Josh Vann -- 143 yards, 1 TD
Defense: Brad Johnson -- 12 tackles, 2 sacks
Georgia:
Passing: Stetson Bennett -- 288 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
Rushing: Zamir White -- 108 yards
Receiving: Brock Bowers -- 150 yards, 2 TD
Defense: Nakobe Dean -- 2 sacks; Adam Anderson -- 2 sacks
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
