South Carolina Gamecocks vs Clemson Tigers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Saturday, 11/30/24

This year’s installment of the Palmetto Bowl between the South Carolina Gamecocks (8-3) and the Clemson Tigers (9-2) will kick off at noon ET on Saturday from Death Valley in Clemson. Both teams essentially had bye weeks leading into this game, as South Carolina beat FCS Wofford 56-12 while Clemson beat FCS Citadel 51-14. The Gamecocks find themselves in the midst of a 5-game winning streak with victories over Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri. Meanwhile, the Tigers rebounded nicely from a 33-21 home loss to Louisville with 2 consecutive road wins over Virginia Tech and Pitt to end their conference schedule. The Tigers have won 8 of their last 9 games against the Gamecocks, but it was the Gamecocks who were victorious the last time they visited Clemson in 2022. This particular matchup could be the most impactful of the longstanding rivalry between South Carolina’s flagship universities, as the winner of this game has a legitimate shot to make the College Football Playoff after the chaotic results of Week 13. 

By the numbers, Clemson’s offense has been one of the best in college football. The Tigers average 37.6 points and 469.9 yards per game, but they also have a strength of schedule that ranks 57th according to ESPN. They scored 24 points or fewer just 4 times this season, and those 4 times just so happened to be against the top 4 defenses on their schedule to this point – Georgia, Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pitt. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Gamecocks have better numbers than all those teams and are legitimately one of the best defenses in the country. With the 12th-ranked strength of schedule and the 14th-ranked strength of record, South Carolina is 14th in scoring defense and 13th in total defense on the season as a whole, and the Gamecocks are top 20 in defensive PPA outside of garbage time since Week 8. Yielding just 2.43 points per opposing trip inside their 40-yard line, the Gamecocks are 6th nationally in points allowed per scoring opportunity since mid-October, and their season-long red zone defense has been great as well – boasting a top 10 mark in opposing red zone touchdown rate.

On the other side of the ball, South Carolina’s offense has been surprisingly good in the last 6 weeks. The Gamecocks are 13th nationally in PPA since Week 8, scoring an average of 4.57 points per trip inside the opposing 40-yard line. Compare that to the Tigers, who rank 41st in PPA and have scored an average of 4.06 points per scoring opportunity. South Carolina’s offense is predicated on the run with running back Raheim Sanders and dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers, which is an area of weakness for Clemson’s defense. The Tigers have yielded an average 139.64 rushing yards per game (55th) this season, and they are 84th in opposing rush PPA and 128th in explosiveness per rush outside of garbage time over the last 6 weeks. Everything points to a Gamecock win in this spot, so I will take South Carolina on the money line despite being on the road. For what it’s worth, the Gamecocks are 3-1 SU on the road this season.

South Carolina vs Clemson prediction: South Carolina Gamecocks ML +115 at the time of publishing. Playable to +100.

You can bet on our South Carolina vs Clemson pick with BetMGM, where right now new users can activate your new BetMGM account ⚡ and get up to $1,500 in first-bet protection!