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NCAA Football

Bookmaker Gambling Preview: Rebels vs. Gamecocks

Betting preview from Bookmaker Sportsbook outlining the clash Thursday night between the Ole Miss Rebels and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Oddsmakers currently have the Rebels listed as 3½-point favorites…

Ole Miss at South Carolina

Mississippi: 2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS
South Carolina: 2-1 SU, 3-0 ATS

The Mississippi Rebels’ offense is firing on all cylinders after just two games. The South Carolina Gamecocks’ offense sputtered to start the season but has been starting to warm up in their past two contests. The big question is if the Gamecocks can keep pace with Ole Miss when the teams meet in Columbia on Thursday night.

The Rebels opened as 3-point road favorites visiting their conference foe. South Carolina won last year’s meeting 31-24 as a 2-point road underdog. However, that game came after Ole Miss’ shocking win over the Florida Gators and was a perfect letdown spot for the Rebels.

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This year’s Ole Miss team is focused on making at run at the SEC West title and facing the Gators for the conference championship. Mississippi is currently ranked fifth in the country after two blowout wins over lesser opponents. The Rebels managed to hold down an explosive Memphis Tigers program in Week 1, then bounced back from a flu scare during the bye week to knock off Southeastern Louisiana last weekend.

Ole Miss leads the SEC in offense, scoring over 48 points per game. Quarterback Jevan Snead has lived up to the offseason hype so far. He’s passed for over 192 yards per game to start the schedule. He’s totaled five touchdown passes but has also been picked off twice and has a completion percentage of just 56 percent.

Snead’s counterpart on Thursday doesn’t carry the same pro buzz but has impressed bettors in his three starts this season. South Carolina’s Stephen Garcia has passed for almost 228 yards per game including 313 yards against the Georgia Bulldogs in a 41-37 Week 2 loss. Garcia has been a project under center for head coach Steve Spurrier, who is happy with his quarterback’s ability to manage a game as well as his pocket presence.

Garcia has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Tight end Weslye Saunders is a big target, catching 13 balls for 153 yards this season. Receiver Tori Gurley is coming off a huge day against Florida Atlantic, reeling in four balls for 100 yards. And freshman running back Jarvis Giles is starting to adapt to the college game, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

Mississippi running back Brandon Bolden has been a beast on the ground in his first two games. The sophomore is fifth in the SEC in rushing and totaled 105 yards in the Rebels’ blowout of Southeastern Louisiana. He’s had 100 yards or more in his last three games but totaled just 36 yards on 10 carries against the Gamecocks last season.

Ole Miss receiver Dexter McCluster was huge in that 2008 loss to South Carolina. He caught six balls for 99 yards while adding another 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Last week, McCluster caught just three balls for 48 yards while still recovering from the flu. His wing mate, senior Shay Hodge, is putting up surprising numbers, totaling 136 yards and one touchdown in two games. Hodge has always been a steady target for the Rebels but is proving to be their most reliable one this season.

Mississippi will have one of its top defensive weapons back for Thursday’s matchup. Senior defensive end Greg Hardy is listed as probable after missing last week’s game with a sprained ankle. Hardy, who injured himself against Memphis, has 18.5 sacks in the last two seasons.

The Rebels’ defense registered the most sacks in the SEC last season, getting to the quarterback 39 times. Freshman defensive end Jerrell Powe is hoping to make a name for himself on the defensive front. In his first college game Powe recorded two tackles, one for a loss.

The Gamecocks’ defense has struggled with inconsistency this season. South Carolina was steadfast in the opener against North Carolina State, limiting their opponent to a field goal and 133 yards of offense. However, in the last two games the defense has been rolled over by opposing running backs. Georgia’s talented offensive line paved the road for 107 rushing yards, and Owls running back Alfred Morris broke free for 79 yards on the ground.

The last three meetings between these conference foes have played over the total, with an average combined score of 67 points.

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By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"