The Missouri Tigers just lost to the Indiana Hoosiers, an outcome that very few people expected or even considered as a legitimate possibility. Missouri must regroup quickly in South Carolina.
Missouri Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks
Saturday, September 27th – 7:05 PM ET
Odds: South Carolina -5
Why The Tigers Will Cover
They are facing a defense that has not shown it can defend a good passing attack. South Carolina got blasted in the first game of the season by a Texas A&M team that ran occasionally but threw often. South Carolina then slowed down a weaker East Carolina offensive line before running into a Georgia team that liked to run more than it passed. South Carolina wasn’t great against Georgia by any stretch, but the Bulldogs were not able to pass the ball well enough to make the Gamecocks pay for their inability to rush the passer. Missouri is a team that can attack from both the ground and the air, but the Tigers have a quarterback, Maty Mauk, who is very solid as a passer. You will probably see Missouri commit to the passing game, and if the Tigers are able to do that, they could very easily score more than 40 points against the Gamecocks’ terrible secondary. Missouri’s offense gives South Carolina’s defense a bad matchup, and so much of each and every game in sports, especially in a betting context, is based on the matchup at hand.
South Carolina has another problem as well: the kicking game. The Gamecocks allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns last weekend against Vanderbilt. That’s inexcusable for any team, and a sign that the Gamecocks’ problems are bigger on kick coverage than a lot of analysts first thought. There are so many weaknesses in South Carolina’s profile, and Missouri will count on that in this game.
Why The Gamecocks Will Cover
They are playing a Missouri team that’s banged up on offense. Missouri will have to play Brad McNulty at left guard after veteran Anthony Gatti tore his right ACL in the loss to Indiana this past Saturday. Connor McGovern is going to be slotted back at his familiar right guard position. Taylor Chappell is viewed as the likely replacement for McGovern at right tackle. Receiver Darius White is also suffering from an injury and will need to have his absence compensated for. It will be interesting to see what Missouri does to make up the difference at wide receiver. South Carolina is weak along its defensive front, but Missouri’s injuries make the battle between the Tigers’ offensive line and the Gamecocks’ defensive line a more even matchup. This plays into South Carolina’s hands, since Missouri had a great chance to dominate this specific game within the game. Now, the outlook is a little different.
South Carolina’s offense should also be able to move the ball against a Missouri defense that allowed over 200 rushing yards last week to Indiana. If the Hoosiers could get more than 200, the Gamecocks can do the same thing as well.
Outlook
Missouri’s passing game is going to repeatedly gouge the South Carolina secondary. The Tigers’ offensive line will hold up just enough for it to matter.
Pick: Missouri +5
