The Troy Trojans (2-2, 0-1 Sun Belt) and South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2 SEC) meet Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Troy vs. South Carolina odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Troy is coming off a head-scratcher as it fell 29-16 at UL Monroe last week as 23.5-point favorites. The Warhawks are one of the worst teams in the nation and the Trojans had a shot at improving to 3-1, with its only loss to a good Liberty side, but couldn’t capitalize.
South Carolina enters on a two-game skid, but losses to ranked SEC East Division foes Georgia and Kentucky are nothing to be ashamed about. The Gamecocks gave the Wildcats a good game, falling 16-10 at home last Saturday. The Under is 3-1 for South Carolina, as they have allowed 33 total points in the three outings outside the UGA game.
Rankings according to the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Troy at South Carolina odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday 11:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Troy +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | South Carolina -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Troy +6.5 (+102) | South Carolina -6.5 (-125)
- Over/Under (O/U): 42.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Troy at South Carolina odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
South Carolina 26, Troy 17
Money line
I would have liked the possibility of a Troy upset a lot more until its egg-laying in Monroe last week. If the Trojans can’t beat one of the worst teams in their own conference, they aren’t taking down a mid-tier SEC squad.
AVOID, and look to the spread instead.
Against the spread
I think SOUTH CAROLINA -6.5 (-125) is quite a gift from the books, so enjoy. As long as this stays under a flat seven, or the dreaded seven and a hook, I love this line.
Troy has had difficulty putting points on the board against FBS foes, going for just 13 points in the Liberty loss, just 21 points in a win over Southern Miss, and 16 points in last week’s stunner at ULM.
South Carolina isn’t exactly killing it offensively either, going for 20, 13 and 10 in its last three outings. Don’t expect a ton of points, but the Gamecocks will pull it out in the end.
Over/Under
The slight lean is to the OVER 42.5 (-108), even though Troy and South Carolina have had their issues cobbling together yards and points against non-FCS teams this season.
Still, a total in the low 40s is crazy low, and you can expect South Carolina to enjoy a little home cooking. South Carolina managed just 10 at home against a solid Kentucky side but scored 46 in the opener against Eastern Illinois. I like the Gamecocks to fall somewhere in the middle of that margin, especially against a Trojans side that was dinged by a very bad ULM team for 29 points.
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