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Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the second half of their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. The Tigers won 31-16. Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images via AFP.
Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers reacts during the second half of their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. The Tigers won 31-16. Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images via AFP.

The Clemson Tigers hope to remain in the hunt for the College Football Playoff when they take on the rival South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday. Read on for our top South Carolina-Clemson college football picks.

South Carolina (6-5 ATS, 6-5 O/U) shocked the entire college football world last week by scoring 63 points in an outright upset over fifth-ranked Tennessee. The Gamecocks now have a real opportunity to improve their bowl game with a win over another top-10 opponent on Saturday.

For Clemson (6-5 ATS, 6-5 O/U), a loss on Saturday won’t impact the ACC Championship picture. However, it would effectively eliminate the Tigers from College Football Playoff contention. Clemson has bounced back from its first and only defeat of the season three weeks ago with wins over Louisville and Miami.

Here are our college football betting picks for the Week 13 matchup between South Carolina and Clemson (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Check out our top college football picks for Week 13!

South Carolina vs. Clemson Game Info

Date: Saturday, Nov. 26, noon ET
TV: ABC
Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Weather: 57 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation, 2-3 mph winds SE

South Carolina vs. Clemson Odds

South Carolina vs. Clemson Odds Analysis

The in-state rivalry was initially listed at Clemson -16, but betting support has come in for South Carolina, dropping the spread to -14 at most books.

The Gamecocks are drawing 54% of the cash and 59% of the tickets.

While the point spread has dropped, the opposite is true of the game total. After opening at 47.5, the total has shot up 5.5 points to reach the current market consensus of 53. The Over is getting overwhelming support, 93% of the cash and 87% of the tickets.

South Carolina vs. Clemson Picks

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South Carolina vs. Clemson ATS Pick

South Carolina +14.5 (-105) ★★

After last week’s shocking result over Tennessee, a savvy betting mind might be inclined to believe that South Carolina is primed for a letdown on Saturday. Despite the underdog being the public side, the Gamecocks continue to hold some appeal, especially with the spread sitting just above the key number of 14.

By no means should bettors expect Spencer Rattler and the offense to perform at the same level as they did a week ago. Simply exceeding the standards set over the course of the full season would be a win against a Clemson team that ranks 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.

That being said, last week did prove that the Gamecocks can turn things up in the passing attack. Rattler looked like the highly-touted recruit that many believed he would be when he signed with Oklahoma. A veteran receiving corps that had underwhelmed all season also stepped up in a big way. 

With the weakness of Clemson’s defense being the secondary, it will be critical for Rattler to play with confidence and take shots down the field. Although the Gamecocks were a middle-of-the-pack SEC team, they are superior to the majority of ACC opposition that the Tigers faced this season. Toss in the rivalry game aspect and South Carolina should be able to stay within two touchdowns. 

South Carolina vs. Clemson O/U Pick

Under 53 (-110) ★★★

To say that last week’s offensive performance by South Carolina was an anomaly compared to the rest of the season would be an understatement. In fact, it was just two weeks ago that a shorthanded Gamecocks team was held to a whopping six points by Florida. 

Coming into Saturday’s Palmetto Bowl, Carolina ranks 50th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency. Clemson isn’t much better in this statistic at No. 43. Even in games where the Tigers have been the physically dominant team, they haven’t really scored more than 30 points. 

Another factor to consider is how poorly South Carolina has been defensively against the run this season. The Gamecocks have allowed 193.2 rushing yards per game to opponents. This ranks 109th out of 131 FBS teams. Clemson figures to be more than willing to ride its offensive line and talented running back Will Shipley.

Given how much larger the sample size of poor offensive play is than strong, one has to believe that South Carolina will come back down to Earth on Saturday. Clemson’s defense front figures to impose its will in the trenches and take away the Gamecocks’ rushing attack. Unless Rattler can stand on his head again, South Carolina may struggle to reach 20 points.

South Carolina vs. Clemson Prop Pick

Clemson Under 34.5 points (-130) ★★★

After scoring 35-plus points in each of its first four games to begin the season, Clemson has rarely hit that threshold since. In fact, last week’s blowout win over Miami marked the first time since late September that the Tigers scored more than 34 points in a game. 

Regardless of how dominant Clemson’s offensive line has been, the Tigers have regularly topped out between 30 and 34 points against ACC competition. South Carolina may not boast the best defense statistically, but it should be able to match up with the Tigers’ skill players athletically. D.J. Uiagalelei’s propensity to kill drives with turnovers must also be taken into consideration.

As far as this prop line itself, bettors should note that DraftKings’ team total line of 34.5 sits one full point higher than what other major sportsbooks are offering.

Where to Bet on South Carolina vs. Clemson Picks

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South Carolina-Clemson picks made 11/25/2022 at 12:05 p.m. ET