College Football South Carolina vs. Missouri Week 2 Predictions 9/9/17
Will South Carolina and Missouri light up the scoreboard tonight when the two teams meet in Columbia, MO?
The Matchup: South Carolina (1-0) at Missouri (1-0), 7:00PM ET, ESPN2
According to oddsmakers, the Tigers are favored by a field goal in this matchup. The Gamecocks opened as a 4.5-point underdog but the line was immediately bet down to 2.5. It would appear the spread has settled in at 3.
As for the total, the number hit the board at 71.5 but has been bet down to 70.5.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks won last week on the road but have struggled away from their home turf in recent years. They’ve won just two of their last 14 road games while averaging just 19.3 points per contest over that stretch. In seven of those 12 losses, they fell by double-digit points.
Meanwhile, Rico Dowdle rushed for 149 yards in last season’s meeting with Missouri. He also rushed for a touchdown in that contest, but was held to just 27 yards last week versus N.C. State.
Missouri Tigers
Tigers quarterback Drew Lock put on a show last week, albeit against FCS opponent Missouri State. He tied an SEC record with seven touchdown passes and finished with 521 yards passing versus the Bears. Lock has three career 400-yard passing games, which is one shy of matching Chase Daniel for the most in school history.
That said, Lock has struggled against conference opponents. In his career, he’s averaged just 181 passing yards per game according to ESPN.com. His 39.2 QBR in conference play varies drastically to his 70.1 QBR versus non-conference foes.
Our Prediction
Missouri allowed a whopping 43 points to Missouri State a week ago. Difference miscues were present from the opening snap, from missed tackles to blown assignments to Bear receivers running free in the Tigers’ secondary. It was ugly from start to finish.
There’s too much for the Tigers to fix in a week. South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley should light up the scoreboard and Lock, even though he’s struggled against SEC foes, should post good numbers as well. He looks very comfortable in his second season under offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.
College Football Week 2 Predictions: South Carolina/Missouri over 70.5
