Gamecocks at the lowest point spread against Texas A&M in four years
Oct. 19, 2022
South Carolina football has a chance to make history this weekend when permanent SEC West Division rival Texas A&M visits Columbia on Saturday night. And so far, from a gambling perspective, Las Vegas sportsbooks and their bettors like the Gamecocks’ chances of scoring their first-ever win against the Aggies. Texas A&M is a perfect 8-0 against South Carolina since joining the SEC but is favored by just three points entering this weekend’s matchup, according to VegasInsider’s latest consensus line.
That’s a 16.5-point drop from last year’s spread against Texas A&M, the closest spread in the series since 2018 and only the second time in the last seven meetings the Aggies have been favored by fewer than eight points against South Carolina. As of Wednesday afternoon, South Carolina has picked up 90% of the money on against-the-spread bets, meaning bettors are placing serious cash on the Gamecocks to stay within three points of Texas A&M or win the game, per VegasInsider.
South Carolina has also picked up 71% of the money line (or straight-up win-loss) bets, meaning a clear majority of money-line bettors foresee USC beating Texas A&M outright. The Aggies were favored by a whopping 19.5 points leading into 2021 in College Station, Texas, which tied the 2016 spread for the largest in series history, per Odds Shark data. Texas A&M blew out South Carolina 44-14 that day, easily covering the 19.5-point spread with a 30-point victory and handing the Gamecocks their worst loss to date of the Shane Beamer era.
This weekend’s spread is indicative of what’s changed since then. South Carolina (4-2, 1-2 SEC) won at No. 13 Kentucky two weeks ago and needs just two wins over its final six games to clinch bowl eligibility for a second-straight season under Beamer.
A win over Texas A&M would also give the Gamecocks four-straight wins for the first time since 2013 (six) and five wins in seven games for the first time since the 2017 season. South Carolina is tied for third among teams receiving votes outside of the Top 25 in this week’s AP poll and fourth among teams receiving votes in this week’s USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches poll. As for the Aggies: They’re 3-3, 1-2 in the SEC, and unranked halfway through what’s been quite the turbulent fifth season for former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher.
Oct. 19, 2022
South Carolina football has a chance to make history this weekend when permanent SEC West Division rival Texas A&M visits Columbia on Saturday night. And so far, from a gambling perspective, Las Vegas sportsbooks and their bettors like the Gamecocks’ chances of scoring their first-ever win against the Aggies. Texas A&M is a perfect 8-0 against South Carolina since joining the SEC but is favored by just three points entering this weekend’s matchup, according to VegasInsider’s latest consensus line.
That’s a 16.5-point drop from last year’s spread against Texas A&M, the closest spread in the series since 2018 and only the second time in the last seven meetings the Aggies have been favored by fewer than eight points against South Carolina. As of Wednesday afternoon, South Carolina has picked up 90% of the money on against-the-spread bets, meaning bettors are placing serious cash on the Gamecocks to stay within three points of Texas A&M or win the game, per VegasInsider.
South Carolina has also picked up 71% of the money line (or straight-up win-loss) bets, meaning a clear majority of money-line bettors foresee USC beating Texas A&M outright. The Aggies were favored by a whopping 19.5 points leading into 2021 in College Station, Texas, which tied the 2016 spread for the largest in series history, per Odds Shark data. Texas A&M blew out South Carolina 44-14 that day, easily covering the 19.5-point spread with a 30-point victory and handing the Gamecocks their worst loss to date of the Shane Beamer era.
This weekend’s spread is indicative of what’s changed since then. South Carolina (4-2, 1-2 SEC) won at No. 13 Kentucky two weeks ago and needs just two wins over its final six games to clinch bowl eligibility for a second-straight season under Beamer.
A win over Texas A&M would also give the Gamecocks four-straight wins for the first time since 2013 (six) and five wins in seven games for the first time since the 2017 season. South Carolina is tied for third among teams receiving votes outside of the Top 25 in this week’s AP poll and fourth among teams receiving votes in this week’s USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches poll. As for the Aggies: They’re 3-3, 1-2 in the SEC, and unranked halfway through what’s been quite the turbulent fifth season for former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher.