South Carolina is hosting No. 4 Alabama for a Week 9 matchup on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Crimson Tide are listed as 11.5-point road favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 47.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and best bet for this matchup between these two SEC opponents.
Alabama vs. South Carolina prediction, preview
Alabama Preview
After a Week 1 loss to Florida State, Kalen DeBoer’s seat was starting to get hot in Tuscaloosa. Alabama fans were not happy about missing out on the College Football Playoff last season, and that was a dreadful way to start this season. However, the Crimson Tide have bounced back and been one of the best teams in the nation ever since. Alabama just became the first SEC team to win four straight games against ranked opponents, beating Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee. However, that makes this game against South Carolina a dangerous spot. This team just played four consecutive highly emotional and physically demanding games.
Now, they head to Columbia for a game where they are clearly expected to win. This is where Kalen DeBoer’s team struggled last season. They lost as double-digit favorites on the road against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma last season, then did the same against Florida State to start this season. If DeBoer can keep his team motivated, Alabama is the better team, but they have a pattern of not coming prepared for this type of game.
South Carolina Preview
The Gamecocks are not having the season that many South Carolina fans envisioned. Last season was one of the best in recent program history. LaNorris Sellers became a national sensation as a freshman and the Gamecocks won nine games, just narrowly missing out on the College Football Playoff. Ideally, South Carolina would have built off that momentum, invested in the portal and built a winner around a special quarterback talent.
However, South Carolina got worse at virtually every position. They have struggled to get a running game going. The Gamecocks also don’t have any real threats at receiver. Most importantly, the offensive line has been a disaster. While the defense has actually performed quite well, it is not at the same level as last season’s defense, which was loaded with NFL talent. South Carolina is getting healthier after dealing with offensive line injuries and an injury to their star edge rusher, Dylan Stewart. In front of a big home crowd, this could be one of the Gamecocks’ last chances to put a signature win on the board this season.
Alabama vs. South Carolina pick, best bet
My best bet for this game is for the Gamecocks to cover as big underdogs. South Carolina has played well defensively in SEC play but has not been able to get any offense going. That has largely been because of the awful offensive line play. South Carolina’s offensive line is getting some starters back this week who have been hurt, which will be a massive help. This Alabama defense also struggles to generate pressure. South Carolina has faced LSU and Oklahoma the past two weeks, two of the best defensive lines in the nation. Alabama is not at that same level. If LaNorris Sellers has time, he can make special plays happen with his legs and his arm. Alabama has struggled against mobile quarterbacks the past two seasons. Diego Pavia, Tommy Castellanos, Jackson Arnold, Beau Pribula, Byrum Brown and LaNorris Sellers himself have all put up big rushing numbers against Alabama the past two seasons.
Kalen DeBoer has been awful at Alabama in these spots as a big road favorite. On the other side, Shane Beamer has been fantastic as a big underdog the last several years. When these two teams faced off last year, South Carolina failed on a two-point conversion, which would have tied the game in the final minute. They will deploy all of Shane Beamer’s special teams tricks in this game as well. Shane Beamer and LaNorris Sellers desperately need a good performance to keep their fan base happy, and this spot sets up perfectly for them. The Gamecocks should keep this one close and have a real chance to pull off the upset if Alabama does not come prepared.
