The MLB All-Star Break is always my cue to start breaking down some early college football matchups. Various conferences are having their media days this week, so that whets my appetite even further for some action on the gridiron. Though the heat index is well over 100 degrees in lots of the country, fall is right around the corner.
One of the more intriguing matchups on the Week 1 card features the Virginia Tech Hokies going up against the South Carolina Gamecocks, which will take place on Sunday, August 31 at 3:00 PM EDT on ESPN. The game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
I've analyzed this ACC vs. SEC battle from every angle and came up with an early best bet for your wagering pleasures. Good luck and enjoy the game!
Online sportsbooks opened this line at South Carolina -9.5 back in April. Oddly enough, there hasn't been any movement at all on this point spread. The juice is sitting anywhere from -107 to -110 on both sides.
As for the game total, some early money has come in on the Over. The line opened at 45.5, but it has since been bumped up to 46.5 at shops like FanDuel and SuperBook. That's not a major line move, but one to take note of, nonetheless.
Virginia Tech didn't live up to the hype in 2024, as they finished up at 6-7 after a loss to Minnesota in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Hokies were supposed to be a major player in the ACC, but injuries derailed what could have been a special season. It'll be interesting to see if Brent Pry can get this year's group to bounce back after that high level of disappointment.
Redshirt senior Kyrone Drones returns at QB for the Hokies, and this kid is a major stud. He threw for 1,562 yards and 10 TDs through only 9 games last season. He also found the end zone 6 times on the ground. Drones also gets some help on offense, with dynamic RB Terion Stewart transferring in from Bowling Green.
The Hokies' defense should also improve in 2025, as they added some nice depth via the portal with guys like Ben Bell (19 career sacks) and James Djonkam (133 career tackles). There's a lot to like about this unit, especially since they ranked 8th in red zone defense and 6th in opponent completion percentage a year ago.
Shane Beamer and South Carolina once again surpassed expectations in 2024. The Gamecocks wound up going 9-4 with impressive wins over Clemson, Texas A&M, and Mizzou. They came within a whisker of getting 10 wins but were turned away by Illinois in the Citrus Bowl.
LaNorris Sellers returns at QB for the Gamecocks, and fans were delighted with how well he played as a freshman last season. This kid is a true dual-threat QB who gives opposing defensive coordinators all kinds of anxiety. Sellers is a beast, but this offensive line has tons of question marks.
South Carolina's defense carried the team last season, as they were 11th in points per game allowed and 13th in yards per play allowed. The problem is that this unit lost a ton of talent to the NFL and graduation. They did bring in some help along the D-line, but I think they'll regress in that area.
With a game total so low (45.5), I like the Hokies plus the points in this matchup. South Carolina has plenty of weapons, but I think the bookmakers are overvaluing them based on last season's numbers.
This 9.5 spread would make sense if this were a home game for the Gamecocks, but this will be played on a neutral field. Virginia Tech fans travel pretty well, so I could see this being a 50/50 crowd on Labor Day Weekend.
One major weapon that Tech has is its outstanding kicker John Love, who has made 39 of his 44 career field goal attempts. It's always nice to have a solid special teams weapon in your back pocket when betting an underdog. Let's go Hokies!
Prediction: South Carolina 24 - Virginia Tech 21