South Carolina vs Oklahoma Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 9

South Carolina brings the more complete offense to Norman, scoring 36.1 points per game with 218.3 rushing yards per game, against an Oklahoma team that has scored 3 rushing touchdowns all season.

The Matchup

South Carolina can score in two ways, and Oklahoma mostly cannot. The Gamecocks average 36.1 points per game, throw for 237.7 yards per game, and rush for 218.3 yards per game at 5.8 yards per carry with 15 rushing touchdowns.

LaNorris Sellers drives both halves of that offense, with 1,548 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes this season, and Sellers completed 18 of 32 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while running 18 times for 96 yards and 2 more touchdowns in the 27-24 win over Tennessee. Mazeo Bennett Jr. caught 6 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown in that game, so Sellers has a target producing when South Carolina does throw.

Oklahoma's offense is narrower. The Sooners rush for only 105.6 yards per game at 3.1 yards per carry with 3 rushing touchdowns all season, so John Mateer's arm has to do nearly everything. Mateer was sharp in his last game, completing 22 of 29 passes for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns, with Isaiah Sategna III catching 8 passes for 164 yards, but one-dimensional offenses stall when a defense can play the pass first.

Key Factors

Oklahoma's defense keeps the Sooners in every game, allowing 17.7 points per game with 22 sacks, and that pass rush is the specific threat to South Carolina here. If the Sooners get Sellers off his spot in Norman, the Gamecocks' 36.1 points per game can fall quickly, and Oklahoma's home crowd feeds on exactly those stalled drives.

The Sooners also give the ball away, though, with 15 giveaways this season, and short fields are how a road underdog with a real run game steals margin. South Carolina has won two straight, 38-19 at Florida and 27-24 over Tennessee, while Oklahoma needed a 23-15 win at Mississippi State after losing at home to Kentucky. Balance is the difference that travels.

South Carolina converts third downs at 46.5 percent against Oklahoma's 35.4 percent, so the Gamecocks sustain the drives that a one-dimensional home team cannot match. Oklahoma wins this game if Mateer repeats his 283-yard afternoon and the defense holds Sellers under control for four quarters. Anything less, and South Carolina's ground game at 5.8 yards per carry is too much to spot 5.5 points against.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.