The South Carolina Gamecocks host the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers for a Week 13 matchup on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Gamecocks are listed as 24.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 50.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for this matchup between these two non-conference opponents.
South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina prediction, preview
South Carolina Preview
It has been a season to forget for the Gamecocks. After entering the season with College Football Playoff expectations, the Gamecocks are not even going to make a bowl game. They have just one win in conference play, against the Kentucky Wildcats. Even when South Carolina plays well, things go wrong. They have held big leads over Alabama and Texas A&M this season, blowing both games in devastating fashion. There is real talent on this team, especially LaNorris Sellers at quarterback. However, things have just not clicked at all for South Carolina. The Gamecocks will still take their rivalry game next week against Clemson seriously, but this could be a sleepy spot against Coastal Carolina after last week’s horrific loss.
Coastal Carolina Preview
Coastal Carolina is playing much better in the second half of the season. After some terrible results in the first half of the season, the Chanticleers have won four of their past five games. This game against South Carolina now gives them a chance to make their mark in the national landscape by challenging an SEC team. Coastal Carolina has utilized different quarterbacks and mixed up its offense all season. They have finally unlocked something special, scoring 40+ points in each of their past four games. This will be a tougher test against an SEC defense, but the Chanticleers should come with a top effort.
South Carolina vs. Coastal Carolina pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for Coastal Carolina to cover as massive underdogs. This is a spot where Coastal Carolina will be highly motivated, and the Gamecocks could be completely flat. The Chanticleers are out of Sun Belt contention because of some early-season losses, so a great performance against South Carolina could be the cherry on top of a nice second half of the season for them. Meanwhile, South Carolina is coming off one of the biggest blown leads in SEC history against undefeated Texas A&M last week. The Gamecocks will try to get off the mat in time for Clemson next week, but they could still be lying down for this meaningless game against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have enough offensive firepower to get a couple of scores on the board, which should be enough to cover this game.
