Mississippi vs. South Carolina Expert Pick and Prediction – October 5, 2024

MISSISSIPPI VS. SOUTH CAROLINA EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – October 5, 2024 — Will the real South Carolina please reveal itself? Are the Gamecocks the program that barely scraped by against Old Dominion, earning a four-point win on opening day of the season? Or are they the one that went into Lexington and belted Kentucky, introducing the Wildcats to a hard reality?

It’s really unclear, and it makes this game very hard to pick. South Carolina has played excellent football on defense, but has been pedestrian at best when it has the ball. It’s becoming kind of clear at this point that the Gamecocks can only win games when the defense wins it for them or the opposing offense has a meltdown.

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Mississippi didn’t quite have a meltdown last week against Kentucky, but the Rebels certainly didn’t do their job. Ole Miss had several chances to win the game last week, but the Rebels were 1-for-10 on third down and took some ill-timed sacks that kept them from cashing in on drives. If that happens again, it’s going to be hard for Ole Miss to put up enough points to win this game.

Then again, South Carolina isn’t creating things on offense. This is the kind of game where Ole Miss doesn’t have to go out and win it; it has to simply not lose it. The Rebels haven’t beat themselves yet; Kentucky had to force them into a slop-fest. This is the kind of game where Mississippi can bounce back.

The Odds

Kickoff

When: Saturday, October 5 at 3:30 EST

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

TV: ESPN

Public Bets: Unavailable

Public Money: Unavailable

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of October 1st, 2024.

Mississippi vs. South Carolina In-Season Trends

Think Ole Miss means an automatic over? Think again. The Rebels do have a defense, and it hasn’t allowed more than 20 points all season. Ole Miss has played under four times out of five, and it’s because it’s usually the one doing all of the scoring.

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Since its slow start, South Carolina has covered in three straight games. Once again, the Gamecocks are an underdog, which could set them up to come in through the backdoor again.

Weather

It’s going to be another hot and sticky day in South Carolina. Temperatures will hit 88 degrees, so it’s not going to be comfortable at all.

The Difference-Makers

Jaxson Dart hasn’t turned the ball over much, but he has to make quicker decisions with the football. Last time, his mistake against Kentucky in taking a sack knocked the Rebels from a makeable field goal to a 48-yard kick. It missed wide, and the Wildcats escaped. Dart has to be more decisive.

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Lanorris Sellers isn’t really the kind of quarterback who wins games for his team. He’s more the kind of player who just doesn’t lose the game. He’s got to avoid the major mistake.

The Pick

Letting Ole Miss self-destruct isn’t really a great strategy. It might have worked without the Kentucky loss, but the Rebels are likely to come in ticked off and ready to make a statement.

South Carolina isn’t going to be able to just come out and let the Rebels give them the game. This game has to be taken, and the Gamecocks haven’t shown they can do that. As such, it’s wise to play the favorite.