Free Week 1 Prediction: Gamecocks vs. Tar Heels Odds
Looking for South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels free picks? Week 1 betting sees the Gamecocks taking on the Tar Heels on Saturday, August 31st, 2019 at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions like this South Carolina North Carolina free pick.
College Football Handicapping: Week 1
(0-0) South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0)
Date: Saturday, August 31st, 2019
Time: 3:30 PM EST
Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
NCAA Football Spread: Gamecocks -10.5
NCAA Betting Total: 63
Live CFB Odds
Updated Sportsbook Bonuses For TodayClick here to view… CFB ATS Stats & NCAAF Betting Insight for this game!
On the first full Saturday of college football action, two rivals will get together to start their season. These teams last met in 2015, where South Carolina won 17-13. The Gamecocks are 3-0 against the Tar Heels in their last three meetings.
This game is technically being played on a neutral field in Charlotte. However, they are still playing in the state of North Carolina, so I expect a lot of Tar Heels fans.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks by no means had a successful season last year. They finished 7-6 after getting blown out in their bowl game. All five of their regular season losses came to ranked teams. This is good in the sense that North Carolina is nowhere near being ranked. However, this season could be just as tough as they will play at least five ranked teams.
[dfads params=’groups=220&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]
This is a game that the Gamecocks have to win. They will not even come close to winning the SEC East if they can not beat a North Carolina program this has been falling apart. They return Jake Bentley at quarterback for his senior season and he must be the play-maker. Last season he threw for 3,171 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Fans need to see even more this year if the Gamecocks are going to be relevant.
The offense last year averaged 30.1 points per game. This was good for 57th in the country. They relied heavily on the passing game, averaging 272.8 yards per game. This was 26th in the country and will be the focal point against the Tar Heels.
Their defense did not look that great last year to say the least. They were tied for 65th in the country an allowed 27.2 points per game. Against a weak ACC school, I expect the Gamecocks to be much better and bring pressure all game long.
North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels finished last season 2-9, which led to the hiring of Mack Brown. Brown has a ton of work to do and if he does not do it fast, the Tar Heels are in for another miserable season.
Check out the free College football picks from Cappers Picks experts today!
One of the main concerns for UNC is they will be starting a freshman quarterback. Sam Howell will be under center and will be facing a SEC defense in his first game. How he responds is going to be a major factor in this game. If he looks scared and hesitant, the Gamecocks are going to jump all over that. If he looks confident and does not make mistakes, North Carolina may hang around for awhile.
The offense was overall disappointing last year. They averaged just 27.4 points per game, which was 48th in the country. Now with a freshman quarterback, there will be a ton of pressure for him to put up a ton of points. I just do not believe a freshman is going to get the job done in week one against a rival school.
The defense for the Tar Heels is where this game could get ugly. They allowed an average of 34.8 points per game. This ranked 108th in the country and I do not think they will be able to slow down Jake Bentley. I fully expect the Tar Heels defense to get shredded, making it that much tougher for their young quarterback to bring them back.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- SOCAR are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 vs. ACC.
Free Week 1 NCAA Football Pick
In the end, South Carolina is a more talented team than North Carolina and I think they pull away and win the game.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: South Carolina Gamecocks -10.5
Jake Bentley is on a mission to help make South Carolina relevant in the SEC. I think he starts that by beating North Carolina by a least two scores.
Week 1 Free Score Prediction: South Carolina 35 – North Carolina 17
If you’re looking for more picks like this South Carolina Gamecocks vs. North Carolina Tar Heels matchup we’ll be providing 4* free College football game predictions on the blog all bowl season long, and check out our Experts for guaranteed premium & free CFB Football picks!
Check out our Updated College Football Betting Odds.
[dfads params=’groups=219&limit=1&return_javascript=1′]