Jay Horne’s College Football Week 2 Best Bets: South Carolina vs. Kentucky

South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
NCAA College Football Week 2
Date/Time: Saturday September 7th, 2024. 3:30 PM (EST)
Where: Kroger Field Lexington, KY
TV: ABC

Betting Odds:

Point Spread: SC +9.5/UK -9.5
Moneyline: SC +340/UK -425
Total: 45.5

The Kentucky Wildcats will kick off conference play this Saturday when they host the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kroger Field. The Wildcats opened the season with a 31-0 shutout over Southern Miss in a game that was shortened due to weather. Despite the shortened contests, the Wildcats checked all the boxes with strong play on both sides of the football. In fact, QB Brock Vandagriff was sharp, hitting 12 of 18 passing for 169 yards with three touchdowns. The Wildcats were hopeful the former Georgia QB would be able to improve the passing attack and all signs pointed to a positive opening game for Mark Stoops’ program.

On Saturday, the Wildcats should get an uptick in competition when they host the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks pulled out a close victory over Old Dominion in their opener. Despite being 21-point favorites, the Gamecocks nearly escaped the upset by forcing a turnover in the closing seconds. Despite the win, the Gamecocks did not exactly pass the eye test. QB LaNorris Sellers struggled heavily in his starting debut by hitting just 10 of 23 passing for 114 yards. Sellers is a dual-threat quarterback who carried the ball 22 times for 68 yards. However, the Gamecocks could not move the football through the air and managed just 23 points against an inferior Old Dominion defense. As a result, the Gamecocks will enter this Saturday’s SEC opener at nearly double-digit underdogs.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Analysis

I was in attendance for South Carolina’s opener against Old Dominion, and I can’t reiterate enough how bad South Carolina played in that game. There was some offseason buzz that LaNorris Sellers would fill the shoes of former QB Spencer Rattler in a positive light. However, we did not see any evidence that will be the case in the opener. More importantly, I was very disappointed with the South Carolina coaching staff and the way they used Sellers. Coach Shane Beamer had his redshirt freshman quarterback run the ball more than 20 times, which is not going to last throughout the grind of the season. Simply put, South Carolina has to be better in all facets of the game going forward, from play-calling to execution.

Unfortunately, the style of football that the Gamecocks are trying to enforce with a physical running attack plays into the strengths of the Wildcats. Kentucky has been very good at stopping the run on defense and establishing the run on offense. QB Brock Vandagriff did everything that Mark Stoops wanted in last week’s opener. The Wildcats are not going to throw the ball 30+ times. They are going to focus on the run and hope the quarterback position can make plays where needed. I believe Vandagriff is going to be a good fit for this Wildcats offense that will continue to put heavy focus on the running game as they move forward in the season.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Trends

• South Carolina is 3-6 ATS in the last nine games.
• South Carolina is 4-1 SU in the last five games.
• South Carolina has hit the “under” in 6 of the last seven games.
• South Carolina is 1-5 SU in the last six games on the road.
• Kentucky is 4-2 ATS in the last six games.
• Kentucky has hit the “over” in 8 of the last 11 games.
• Kentucky has hit the “under” in 8 of the last nine games against South Carolina.
• Kentucky is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 games against South Carolina.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Kentucky Wildcats Betting Prediction

Obviously, one of the biggest rules in handicapping is never judging a team solely by the last game. With that being said, trust me when I say that South Carolina is not a good football team. More importantly, I believe Kentucky matches up extremely well based on the style of football that both teams will try to enforce. I expect Kentucky to establish ball control and wear the Gamecocks down over 60 minutes of play. Expect the Wildcats to pull away in the 2nd half!
Jay’s Pick: Take Kentucky -9.5