South Carolina vs. Texas A&M prediction: Take the underdog

The VSiN assemblage shot adept Adam Burke digs into 2 games connected Saturday’s slate.

South Carolina astatine Texas A&M

It is truly casual to laughter astatine teams that person embarrassing performances, specified arsenic South Carolina’s effort against Vanderbilt past week, but those types of games tin make buy-low spots successful the marketplace. I deliberation this is 1 of them.

Texas A&M looked large successful a letdown spot against Missouri and covered for maine past week, but I wonderment if the paradigm has shifted to marque the 2nd crippled aft a large upset the letdown spot. Now the Aggies are laying an tremendous fig astatine location the week earlier their off-week. After the bye, The Fighting Jimbos volition look Auburn and Ole Miss.

Having watched mode much Gamecocks shot than I’d similar to admit this season, their biggest contented has been the backmost position. The defence truly scraps and claws, but the discourtesy conscionable doesn’t person the close feline nether center. Graduate assistant-turned- roster subordinate Zeb Noland gets the commencement aft starring SC’s game-winning touchdown thrust against Vandy. He has been amended than Luke Doty. You can’t blasted Shane Beamer for playing the feline with eligibility past this season, but Doty’s wounded puts Noland into the lineup.

Zeb NolandGetty Images

Zach Calzada’s out-of-body acquisition against Alabama was a surprise, but helium was conscionable 13-for-25 for 148 yards past week against Missouri’s pathetic defense. The Aggies simply ran it down Missouri’s pharynx with a defence that has present allowed good implicit 6 yards per carry. The Gamecocks’ tally defence isn’t stellar, but it is 2 yards per transportation amended than Missouri’s.

We’ve got a debased full of 45.5 and a large dispersed here. I don’t deliberation we request a ton from the South Carolina discourtesy to get a screen successful this one. You tin spot the tempered expectations for the Aggies discourtesy with an expected last people of 33-12 with the dispersed and full factored in.

Pick: South Carolina, +20.5.

Eastern Michigan astatine Bowling Green

Remember erstwhile Bowling Green had its 15 minutes of fame from beating Minnesota for the program’s archetypal triumph implicit a FBS squad since 2015? Since then, the Falcons person mislaid 3 straight, to MAC foes Kent State, Akron and Northern Illinois.

To this point, the Eagles haven’t scored much than 26 points successful a crippled against an FBS squad and haven’t topped 27 successful immoderate crippled this season. This discourtesy is precise constricted with conscionable 4.71 yards per play connected the season. While Bowling Green’s defence grades amended from a yards-per-play standpoint for the season, Eastern Michigan’s defence has really allowed less yards per play successful league games.

The Eagles person a large third-down vantage successful this crippled arsenic well, arsenic they fertile 26th nationally successful third-down conversion complaint astatine 46.2 percent; Bowling Green ranks 120th astatine conscionable 31 percent. The 2 defenses are beauteous similar. Eastern Michigan besides has a large reddish portion advantage, ranking 23rd successful touchdown percent to Bowling Green’s fertile of 122nd.

Eastern Michigan is decidedly known arsenic much of a location team, with an outstanding ATS grounds connected the grey turf successful Ypsilanti, but the Eagles clasp capable advantages present to instrumentality them successful a abbreviated favourite relation astatine Doyt Perry Stadium.

Pick: Eastern Michigan, -3.