Shane Beamer’s South Carolina program starts off the 2024 season against Ricky Rahne’s Old Dominion Monarchs.
The spread sits at 21, as the SEC program has the large talent advantage over the Sun Belt outfit. But Old Dominion was a close-game-darling last year, running the veer-and-shoot offense, college football’s high-octane cheat code offense made popular at Baylor, Tennessee, UCF and others.
Can the Monarchs use their playbook to overcome the talent gap and keep this one close? Or will the Gamecocks cover the number in the rowdy confines of Williams-Brice Stadium? Let’s get into my Old Dominion vs. South Carolina prediction, pick and NCAAF odds for Saturday, August 31.
Old Dominion vs South Carolina Prediction
- Old Dominion vs. South Carolina Prediction & Pick: South Carolina -20.5
My Old Dominion-South Carolina prediction & pick is on the Gamecocks to cover the spread in our college football odds, with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Old Dominion vs South Carolina Odds
| Old Dominion Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+20.5 +100 | 50.5 -118 / -104 | +1000 |
| South Carolina Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-20.5 -122 | 50.5 -118 / -104 | -2100 |
- Old Dominion vs South Carolina Point Spread: Old Dominion +20.5 (+100) · South Carolina -20.5 (-122)
- Old Dominion vs South Carolina Total: Over/Under 50.5
- Old Dominion vs South Carolina Moneyline: Old Dominion +1000 · South Carolina -2100
Old Dominion vs South Carolina Preview
Old Dominion Monarchs Betting Preview: Don't Expect Much from ODU
Rahne has had trouble keeping up with an improving Sun Belt Conference, and so he turned to new offensive coordinator Kevin Decker last year to bring in his veer-and-shoot playbook.
The Monarchs were billed to be one of the worst teams in FBS, but they snagged six wins and a bowl berth thanks to some high variance wins in close games. They won three games in which they didn't have a positive post-game win expectancy.
The bones of the team’s bowl season weren't actually strong. The Monarchs ranked outside of the top 100 in offensive EPA/game, and that was with a new scheme that opponents hadn’t seen them run before.
Quarterback Grant Wilson is back this year after finishing 102nd in QBR — in a system that's usually a shortcut for prolific passing.
The big reason for those struggles is the offensive line; the Monarchs ranked 123rd in pass protection grading in PFF.
The defense wasn't great other, finishing 97th in SP+ on that side of the ball. And now the unit will have to replace a host of important players; the Monarchs check in at 102nd in defensive returning production, according to Bill Connelly’s accounting.
Star linebacker Jason Henderson is back, at least, and while the box score indicates that he can do everything (he's likely to finish his career as one of the top tacklers in NCAA history), you can’t build a defense out of one middle linebacker.
Old Dominion had a lightning strike of a bowl season last year, but power ratings place it outside of the top 100 in FBS this year, and a likely Sun Belt cellar team.
South Carolina Gamecocks Betting Preview: Under the Radar Team
Beamer’s program seems to zig when everyone thinks it's going to zag.
The Gamecocks caught fire and defied expectations in 2022, famously dethroning two top-10 teams to end the season. They were a media darling heading into 2023, but finished with a 5-7 record as injuries derailed their offensive outlook.
Now they're under the radar again, and the pieces are in place for a surprise bounce back season.
Last year's MASH unit of an offensive line will be healthy for this game, and this unit will be night and day from last year’s efforts.
Last year’s line struggled with pass protection, but with new personnel and opening-day health on their side, they shouldn’t have an issue with an ODU defense that finished 127th in PFF pass rush.
Former Arkansas star tailback Rocket Sanders is here to run the ball, and new quarterback LaNorris Sellers is a dynamite athlete.
The receiver group is loaded with speed: Nyck Harbor is literally an Olympic caliber sprinter, and Gage Larvadain and Jared Brown were Group of Five stars for their greased lightning playmaking.
South Carolina’s defense is ready for a big step forward, too. It returns star players at every level; DT Tonka Hemingway, LB Debo Williams and S DQ Smith are all-conference caliber leaders.
Five-star freshman edge Dylan Stewart will be an instant impact add to the pass rush, joining a defense that ranks 10th in Connelly’s returning production.
Old Dominion vs South Carolina Pick & Prediction
Don’t let the 2023 results for these teams fool you; this contest won’t be close. There's always a clear talent advantage for the SEC team against the Sun Belt squad, and both teams have turned the page from last year’s fluky campaigns.
For Old Dominion, that's bad – too much talent has drained from an already thin roster that needed a few miracles to put together its 6-6 record.
For Beamer’s Gamecocks, they're itching to hit reset after an injury-riddled nightmarish 2023. Injuries doomed them from the start, and now they have high-level pieces in place on a well-built, healthy roster.
With a clean game, and a new day in Columbia, the fans in Williams-Brice will have something to celebrate all day. I’ll take the Gamecocks to win big, and cover the spread.
Pick: South Carolina -20.5 (Play to 23.5) |
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How to Watch Old Dominion vs South Carolina Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Williams-Brice Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Aug. 31 |
| Kickoff Time: | 4:15 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | SEC Network |
Old Dominion vs South Carolina Betting Trends
- 72% of the bets are on Old Dominion covering the spread while 84% of the money is coming in on South Carolina ATS.
