An exciting SEC matchup in college football betting lines starts Saturday’s action as South Carolina hosts Georgia on ESPN 2. The Gamecocks are slight favorites in college football odds in this Noon Eastern Time start. South Carolina is a 2.5 point favorite at SBG. Both Georgia and South Carolina were extremely impressive last week and both teams covered the point spread. The Bulldogs routed Louisiana-Lafayette 55-7 while South Carolina pounded Southern Miss by as score of 41-13.
Winner is Top SEC Contender – The winner of this game will immediately take over the role as top contender to Florida in the SEC East. This is almost a must-win game for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. He got his opening win last week but this game against Georgia will set the tone for the season. If they Gamecocks win they can say they are a true challenger in the SEC but if they lose they are just another pretender as always. The Bulldogs have won seven of the last nine games in the series so this game couldn’t be more important for Spurrier and the Gamecocks.
Higher Ranked Team is a Dog – It doesn’t happen that often but Saturday is a case where the higher ranked team is an underdog in college football odds. Georgia is ranked in the Top 25 but they are an underdog at South Carolina who began the season unranked. Georgia looked good with freshman quarterback Aaron Murray last week as he threw for 160 yards with three touchdowns. He will get a much stiffer test this week against the South Carolina defense.
Suspended Stars Should Return – Georgia held out star receiver A.J. Green last week as they wait for an NCAA ruling on his status. They also suspended leading rusher Washaun Ealey last week but he is expected back for this game. Receiver Tavarres King and safety Alec Ogletree should also return from suspension. South Carolina held out star tight end Weslye Saunders in addition to left tackle Jarriel King and cornerback Chris Culliver. Keep an eye on the injury report as the game gets closer to see if Green or Saunders return as they are the two players who could impact college football betting lines in this game.