The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs will take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1) on Saturday in Athens to open the SEC season.
The Bulldogs are coming off a dominant 45-3 win over Ball State, while the Gamecocks bounced back from a 31-17 season-opening loss to No. 17 North Carolina with a 47-21 win over Furman in Week 2.
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Georgia has dominated the last three matchups, outscoring South Carolina 143-36. Still, the Gamecocks can’t be overlooked. They are the last team to beat the Bulldogs at home (2019).
The Bulldogs are a minus-27.5 point home favorite against South Carolina, per Bet MGM odds.
Here are five reasons the Gamecocks could cover that line:
Carson Beck’s first SEC start
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I’ll reiterate that these are reasons South Carolina could cover the minus-27.5 points. I’m not saying they will.
Georgia has almost every advantage in the book on paper. What the Gamecocks have is a starting quarterback that has played in meaningful SEC games.
Georgia’s Carson Beck played better in Week 2, but this matchup will be his first start against an SEC opponent. The pressure will be high. How will he answer the call?
Slow starts
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Georgia hasn’t been as efficient in first quarters this season. Slow starts against UT Martin and Ball State demonstrate that.
The Bulldogs have scored seven points with 131 total yards and zero opponent turnovers in the first quarter. They totaled 86 points, 814 total yards and four opponent turnovers in the remaining quarters.
Let’s keep in mind those numbers are from matchups against inferior opponents. There’s less room to work with against an SEC foe.
Starters out
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Georgia starting wide receiver Ladd McConkey and leading returning rusher Daijun Edwards have yet to take a snap this season.
Edwards is expected to make an appearance on Saturday, but McConkey’s status is still in question as he recovers from a back injury.
Starting safety Javon Bullard went down with an ankle injury last week and is also questionable.
Much improved Spencer Rattler
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Georgia shut down South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler last season, holding him to 13 completions on 25 passes for 118 yards and two interceptions
That was Rattler’s third game as a Gamecock. Since then, Rattler has shown improvement. The senior signal-caller ranks second in the SEC in passing (698 yards) and first in completion percentage (83.3).
The Gamecocks’ Achilles’ heel has been up front. North Carolina sacked Rattler nine times in Week 1.
Sluggish ground game
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Injuries at running back and a new-look offensive line have kept Georgia from finding its rhythm on the ground.
The Bulldogs are ninth in the SEC in rushing yards per game (129) after finishing fourth in conference last season (205).
Defending the run isn’t exactly the Gamecocks’ strong suit. They are allowing 124 yards rushing per game, but the Bulldogs have shown they can be vulnerable there.
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.