Kentucky Wildcats at No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks (-21), Total 43.5 |
Kentucky will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak, which includes blowout losses to its first two conference opponents. The Wildcats were handed 35-7 and 48-10 defeats by the LSU Tigers and Florida Gators respectively.
The team ranks 118th out of 120 teams nationally in terms of total offense, averaging 255.6 yards per game, while scoring 15.0 points a contest. The passing game has been virtually non existent under quarterback Morgan Newton, throwing for only 139.4 yards a game.
“There’s always a competition at every position,” commented Wildcats head coach Joker Phillips. “Morgan still gives us our best chance to win, though.” The team has scored just 34 points in dropping three consecutive games.
A lot of the problem is found in the offensive line, a unit that has allowed 21 sacks through five games, which is 119th among all schools. Newton is completing just 50 percent of his passes and has been intercepted six times due to the lack of time to throw the football down field.
sportsbook Bettors will find that the Wildcats are 6-11 ATS as an underdog, while the ‘over’ is 10-7 in those contests.
South Carolina got off to its first 4-0 start under head coach Steve Spurrier, only to see that run end with a 16-13 loss to the Auburn Tigers as 10.5-point home favorites. The Gamecocks have made a change at quarterback, replacing embattled starter Stephen Garcia with Connor Shaw.
“We were living through a lot of errors Stephen would make,” stated Spurrier this week. “We were hoping and believing those errors would go away. We’ve coached Stephen to play better, but he plays similarly about every game.
The Gamecocks are ninth in the conference with 174.6 passing yards per game, while completing just 49.6 percent of their passes.
This is the 23rd game in the series, with Carolina leading 14-7-1, including a 6-3-1 mark when playing in Columbia. The Gamecocks had their 10-game winning streak in the series snapped last year in a 31-28 loss in Lexington as 5.5-point road favorites.
South Carolina has done an excellent job in protecting its home field, winning 16 of its last 19 games in front of the home fans. That fits nicely with Spurrier’s 27-1 all-time record against Kentucky.
After surrendering 79 points in the season’s first two games, the defense has really stepped up over the past three weeks. South Carolina is allowing an average of 13.3 points in its last three contests.
The Gamecocks are tied or third in the nation in turnovers gained with 16, trailing only Rutgers and Cincinnati. The team has eight interceptions, including four in their last game against Auburn.
Getting the ball in the hands of running back Marcus Lattimore is a recipe for success, as the sophomore leads the conference in gaining 135.4 rushing yards per game. He is also the team’s second-leading receiver with 12 catches for 139 yards.
Sportsbook bettors will find that the Gamecocks are 8-11 ATS as a favorite and the total is evenly split 9-9 Over/Under in those games.
