Georgia vs South Carolina point spread: Picking Bulldogs vs Gamecocks

No. 1 Georgia and South Carolina will kick off their respective SEC schedules against one another on Saturday, and the Tigers have been slotted as 27.5-point betting favorites, according to Vegas Insider.

Ahead of Saturday’s Week 3 matchup, advanced football statistics expert Parker Fleming joined On3’s Andy Staples as they made their picks for the game between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks.

“If South Carolina can score and make this a rock fight, they can get into that Beamer ball … they need to not just rely on special teams plays. They need to take advantage of those, but they really need to rely more on the down-to-down business of moving the football,” Fleming told Staples. “Their offense is 27th EPA per play, but their defense is 127th [out of 131] right now.

“Particularly, the run game hasn’t been as effective … They’re 111th in rushing success right now, 67th in EPA per rush, so they haven’t really separated from the middle of the pack and looked a little worse on average.”

On top of the poor effort in the rushing game, quarterback Spencer Rattler has been forced to run for his life more often than not because of the same reasons the Gamecocks aren’t seeing any success in their rushing attack. Rattler has been sacked nine times through two games — all of which came during the season opener against North Carolina. Improved protection up front is non-negotiable for the Gamecocks on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have looked rather uninspired during their first two cakewalks of the 2022 season.

“I expect low-scoring, Georgia to get up and sit on it,” Fleming said. “Now, do I expect Georgia to get up and into the 30’s, sit on it and totally cover? I believe they’re going to have the offensive firepower to get this done and South Carolina, from moving the ball consistently on the ground, to forcing Spencer Rattler to make bad decisions. I’m going to go with Bulldogs here.”

Staples agreed with Fleming, noting the abysmal performance from the front five on offense during the UNC loss. His offensive line was so bad, yet Rattler was so good that he should have gotten take down even more than the draw-dropping nine hits he took in the backfield.

“I think they will be interest and they will blow them out,” Staples said. “I’m going to take Georgia to cover.”

Kickoff for the SEC opener between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET inside Sanford Stadium. CBS will carry the national broadcast.