South Carolina vs Illinois Citrus Bowl
PublishedDecember 12, 2024,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 12, 2024 ,

NCAAF South Carolina vs Illinois Prediction Citrus Bowl

The South Carolina Gamecocks (9-3) face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3) on Tuesday, December 31st. This game will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando and televised on ABC. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Kickoff is set for 3:00 ET.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs Illinois Fighting Illini

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South Carolina Offense Breakdown

South Carolina’s offense is averaging 31.6 points per game, placing them 34th nationally, and they rank 42nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. Their run game is their strength, with 42.1 rushing attempts per game, ranking 11th, and they average 191.3 rushing yards per game.

Raheim Sanders leads the rushing attack with 881 yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has thrown for 2,274 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 102. South Carolina ranks 16th nationally in passer rating and 20th in completion percentage, completing 65.6% of their passes.

Illinois Offense Breakdown

Illinois’ offense is averaging 28.9 points per game, placing them 46th nationally. However, they are ranked 34th in our offensive power rankings. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has thrown for 2,543 yards with a passer rating of 100. He has 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 60.9% of his passes.

Illinois ranks 81st in passing yards per game, averaging 214.3. They are 65th in rushing attempts, with 151.8 rushing yards per game. Aidan Laughery leads the rushing attack with 522 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Pat Bryant has 978 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 53 catches.

South Carolina Team Defense

South Carolina’s defense has been strong this season, ranking 11th nationally by allowing just 17.8 points per game. They’ve given up 111.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th, and 206.9 passing yards per contest. Opposing quarterbacks have managed a 57.1% completion rate and a 69.9 passer rating against South Carolina, the 13th-lowest in the country.

In their recent game against Clemson, South Carolina allowed just 14 points. Clemson ran the ball 32 times but gained only 64 rushing yards. Through the air, South Carolina gave up 262 passing yards on 24 completions.

South Carolina Team Defense

Illinois’ defense has allowed 22.1 points per game this season, ranking 28th nationally. They’ve given up an average of 221.8 passing yards per game (96th) and 151.2 rushing yards per game.

In their recent game against Northwestern, Illinois forced three interceptions but allowed 28 points and 442 total yards, including 329 passing yards.

South Carolina vs Illinois Trends

  • South Carolina has played well in their previous three road games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 26 points per game while allowing 10. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
  • In their last five home games, Illinois has averaged 24 points per game while allowing 28. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
  • Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Illinois Fighting Illini have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
  • Through their last five games as the favorite, the South Carolina Gamecocks have an ATS record of 4-1 and a straight up mark of 5-0.

Gamecocks vs Fighting Illini Prediction

Our projection for this South Carolina vs. Illinois matchup is a final score of 28-21 in favor of South Carolina. With Illinois coming in as +10.5 point underdogs, we like their chances to cover the spread.

For the over/under, the line is set at 47.5 points, and with our projection of 49 total points, we recommend taking the over as a strong play.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.