South Carolina vs. Michigan 2018 Outback Bowl Betting Preview

South Carolina vs. Michigan 2018 Outback Bowl Betting Preview

The South Carolina Gamecocks and Michigan Wolverines will both be looking to cap off their respective seasons with a victory when they throw down in the 2018 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Monday, January 1, 2018. Now, let’s find out what’s going down in this New Year’s Day showdown based on the latest Outback Bowl betting odds.

Gamecocks (8-4) vs. Wolverines (8-4) 2018 Outback Bowl Betting Preview

  • When: Monday, January 1, 2018, 12:00 PM ET
  • Where: Raymond James Stadium
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Radio: 1250 AM (South Carolina) / 950 AM (Michigan)
  • Outback Bowl Betting Odds: Michigan Wolverines -7.5 (Over/Under at 43 points)

Weather Forecast

  • Chance of Rain: 19°C/66°F
  • Humidity: 74%
  • Precipitation: 48%
  • Cloud Cover: 95%
  • Wind: 8 mph NE
  • Stadium Type: Open

Last Matchup

  • Score: Michigan Wolverines 28 / South Carolina Gamecocks
  • Rush Yards: Michigan Wolverines 141 / South Carolina Gamecocks 85
  • Pass Attempts: Michigan Wolverines 37 / South Carolina Gamecocks 36
  • Completion Percentage: Michigan Wolverines 48.65 / South Carolina Gamecocks 69.44
  • Passing Yards: Michigan Wolverines 214 / South Carolina Gamecocks 341
  • Total Yards: Michigan Wolverines 355 / South Carolina Gamecocks 426
  • Turnovers: Michigan Wolverines 2 / South Carolina Gamecocks 1

Why Bet on the Michigan Wolverines Odds at -7.5?

Why bet n the Wolverines in this contest? Because they’ve got an elite defense, plenty of motivation and a great head coach! Michigan dropped their final two Big Ten regular-season games by losing to nationally ranked Wisconsin and Ohio State, 31-20 in their finale on Nov. 25. The Wolverines have had problems at quarterback all season long and have struggled to score the ball because of it by averaging a modest 25.8 points per game this season (88th). The good news is that they have a phenomenal defense that limited the opposition to just 18.2 points per contest (14th). While the quarterback position has been a problem all season for head coach Jim Harbaugh, redshirt freshman Brandon Peters will get the start in this one – and a chance to claim the starting spot next season, even if former five-star quarterback Shea Patterson did the transfer in from Ole Miss. Peters has completed 57.8 percent of his passes for 486 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Running back Karan Higdon rushed for a team-high 929 yards and 11 touchdowns and will likely see a bunch of carries in this contest.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Average Score For: 25.75
  • Total Yards: 354.91
  • Rush Yards: 186.33
  • Passing Yards: 168.58
Defense
  • Average Score Against: 18.25
  • Total Yards: 268.59
  • Rush Yards: 125.92
  • Passing Yards: 142.67

Why Bet on the South Carolina Gamecocks Odds at +7.5?

Why bet on the Gamecocks in this contest? Because they’ve got an elite defense, their own motivation, and a widely respected head coach of their own. South Carolina had their modest two-game winning streak snapped in their humbling 34-10 loss to ACC champion Clemson on Nov. 25 but the Gamecocks have not lost consecutive games this season, so there’s that. South Carolina also struggled offensively this season and comes into this contest averaging a modest 24.1 points per game (99th). Like their Outback Bowl opponents though, the Gamecocks were rock-solid defensively as they limited the opposition to just 20.8 points per contest defensively (27th). South Carolina comes in as the underdog at the Outback Bowl Betting Odds. South Carolina also looks to have a big edge at quarterback where Jake Bentley completed 62.4 percent of his passes this season for 2,555 yards with 16 touchdowns, although he did toss 11 costly interceptions. Running back A.J. Turner had a modest campaign with a team-leading 517 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Team Statistics

Offense
  • Average Score For: 24.08
  • Total Yards: 340.17
  • Rush Yards: 127.25
  • Passing Yards: 212.92
Defense
  • Average Score Against: 20.83
  • Total Yards: 374.59
  • Rush Yards: 146.67
  • Passing Yards: 227.92

Latest Outback Bowl Betting Trends

  • Michigan is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
  • Michigan is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of Michigan’s last 7 games
  • South Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
  • South Carolina is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games

Expert Analysis and Prediction

58 percent of public bettors like South Carolina which is up just a couple of percentage points from when this line opened and I believe it’s the right call, seeing as how Michigan has a young and mostly inexperienced quarterback under center in this matchup. Having said that, I’m simply expecting South Carolina’s defense to force Brandon Peters into a couple of really costly turnovers that the Wolverines just won’t be able to overcome. Michigan has gone 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games while South Carolina is a perfect 5-0 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games and a near-perfect 4-1 ATS in their last 5 bowl games. I have absolutely no idea why Michigan is favored in this contest and I certainly don’t understand why they’re a touchdown-plus favorite. No matter, South Carolina is the easy pick to cover the chalk – by winning outright! Take the Gamecocks and the points in your back pocket people! Outback Bowl Betting Pick: South Carolina +7.5