South Carolina Arkansas Betting: Arkansas Takes On Greatly Undermanned South Carolina
The Arkansas Razorbacks might have gotten a game from the South Carolina team of mid-September, but it’s hard to see how these Gamecocks will be able to keep pace with the Hogs.
South Carolina Gamecocks @ Arkansas Razorbacks - Saturday, November 5
Sports betting line: Arkansas -5.5
Why South Carolina Will Win
The college football betting experts who follow the Southeastern Conference are very much aware that the Arkansas Razorbacks have not been hitting on all cylinders this season. The Hogs were dealt a big blow before the start of the 2011 season when starting running back Knile Davis got injured in August training camp, knocking him out for the whole season and taking away the Razorbacks’ balance. Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino was planning for a year in which he could unleash his passing game – featuring quarterback Tyler Wilson and main receiving threat Joe Adams – in tandem with Davis, who would be the change-of-pace option for an offense that could put defenses on a pendulum. Arkansas could pass in running situations and run in passing situations, taking advantage of defensive alignments to pick its preferred play. Petrino is one of the best play callers in all of college football, so with Davis in the lineup, Arkansas figured to have a very big year. With Davis out for the season, the Razorbacks have clearly struggled. Arkansas labored through a subpar outing against Ole Miss on Oct. 22, and the Hogs were buried by Alabama’s defense in late September. South Carolina’s defense, led by high-impact linemen Melvin Ingram and Jadeveon Clowney, can definitely wreak havoc in Arkansas’ backfield. If the Gamecocks can get a few defensive touchdowns, they could steal a win in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Why Arkansas Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sports bet on this game, you have to realize that South Carolina is going to be even more shorthanded than Arkansas is. When Knile Davis was lost for the year, the Razorbacks lost their best offensive player, but they still have a quarterback – Tyler Wilson – who can lead their team with a considerable degree of confidence. The same can’t be said for South Carolina’s offense, which completely depended on running back Marcus Lattimore to get things done. Lattimore took pressure off his quarterbacks by forcing defenses to put eight men in the tackle box to stop the run. Lattimore was a steady and dependable runner who made South Carolina a threat each week. When the elite performer got injured for the season in a win over Mississippi State on Oct. 15, South Carolina lost its heartbeat, its soul, and its anchor. This team has no offensive balance at the moment and must resort to a “wildcat” formation to generate a rushing attack. However, the free-fall of quarterback Stephen Garcia – who has been dismissed from the team – has left the Gamecocks with an unproven quarterback, the hesitant Connor Shaw, who does not own the same gun Garcia has. Arkansas might not score much, but it won’t allow very many points.
Who Will Win
It’s hard to see how South Carolina’s offense is going to generate any points in this game. The Gamecocks have to get two or three touchdowns from their defense to have a good chance in this contest. That just doesn’t happen on most game days. Take Arkansas.
College Football Betting Pick: Arkansas
