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South Carolina vs Illinois Preview & Picks – Fighting Illini To Run Gamecocks Close In Citrus Bowl

leigh-copson
16 Dec 2024
leigh-copson
Leigh Copson 16 Dec 2024
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  • South Carolina vs Illinois picks for Tuesday, December 31
  • Citrus Bowl is taking place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando
  • Preview, predictions, stats & form
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    South Carolina vs Illinois Preview & Picks
  • South Carolina vs Illinois Preview & Picks
  • Head To Head
  • South Carolina Form
  • Illinois Form

South Carolina vs Illinois Preview & Picks

Illinois are tipped to cover the spread as Citrus Bowl underdogs.

South Carolina could be missing several key players due to opt-outs, so we like a battle-hardened Fighting Illini team who have covered consistently, both as an underdog and against ranked teams.

  • Illinois are 3-1-0 ATS as single digit underdogs
  • Illinois are 4-1-0 ATS against ranked teams this season
  • The Under has hit in 4 of Illinois’ 5 games against ranked teams
  • The Under has cashed in 3 of South Carolina’s 5 road games

Head To Head

  • This is the first ever meeting between the two teams

South Carolina Form

South Carolina missed out on the College Football Playoffs, so they will settle for a place in the Citrus Bowl after a 9-3 regular season.

The damage to the Gamecocks was done early as they lost three of their first four conference games, albeit against ranked teams.

A 35-9 win over Oklahoma in early October breathed some life into their campaign, as it sparked a six-game win streak to close out the season.

South Carolina knocked off ranked SEC rivals in three straight games during this run, beating Texas A&M 44-20, Vanderbilt 28-7 and Missouri 34-30.

The Gamecocks closed out the season with a 17-14 victory at a Clemson team who went on to claim the ACC Championship.

Illinois Form

Illinois go into this Bowl Game having enjoyed a successful season that saw them go 9-3 and beat several ranked teams.

The Fighting Illini opened the season with four consecutive wins, beating Kansas 23-27 and Nebraska 31-24 during that run.

They cooled off over the next five games, losing three times, but two of those defeats came against top-10 opposition in Penn State and Oregon.

Illinois did upset Michigan, 21-7, during that sequence, and they ended the regular season in positive form thanks to three straight wins.

The Fighting Illini downed Michigan State in their final home game, 38-16, before heading out on the road to beat Rutgers 38-31 and Northwestern 38-28.

Verdict

South Carolina certainly made a case for a playoff place this year, but it was not to be.

Opt-outs could be an issue for them here, so we are going to lean towards an Illinois team who have been a reliable underdog pick with the points all season.

Best Bet1: Illinois +9.5 Spread @-111.11 at Stake.us - 4 Units
Best Bet2: Under 48.0 Total Points @-111.11 at Stake.us - 2 Units
Illinois +9.5
Spread
@-111.11 - 4 Units
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Bet at Stake.us
Under 48.0
Total Points
@-111.11 - 2 Units
55 Stake Cash no deposit & 550,000 Gold Coins & 5% Rakeback
Use promo code NEWBONUS

Sign up with the code NEWBONUS. When you verify your account get 25 Stake Cash for free PLUS 250,000 Gold Coins and 5% Rakeback! No deposit required. Login each day for the next 30 days and get an additional 30 Stake Cash AND 300,000 Gold Coins. 21+ only. T&Cs apply. Excludes NY,NV,ID, KY,WA, MI.

Bet at Stake.us