Illinois Fighting Illini vs South Carolina Gamecocks Matchup

Check out our free South Carolina Gamecocks vs Illinois Fighting Illini pick and preview for this CFB Cheez-It Citrus Bowl game in Orlando. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this Cheez-It Citrus Bowl CFB matchup.

South Carolina and Illinois are set to face off in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 ET from Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The game will be broadcast on ABC as both teams come in with a 9-3 record this season. South Carolina is the -11.5-point favorite, and the over/under line is currently 47.5 points. The money line odds have South Carolina at -425 and Illinois at +330.

Gamecocks vs. Fighting Illini Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: South Carolina Gamecocks at Illinois Fighting Illini
Where: Orlando at Camping World Stadium
Date: Tuesday, December 31st
Betting Odds SC -11.5, SC -425 | ILL +330 O/U 47.5

Gamecocks Preview:

South Carolina enters Week 1 against Illinois with a 9-3 record. They’ve gone 4-2 at home and 4-1 on the road. The Gamecocks are unbeaten as favorites, going 5-0, and have a +13.8 average scoring margin this season.

Against the spread, South Carolina is 8-3, with a perfect 5-0 mark on the road. They’ve covered as underdogs in five of six games, holding a 5-1 ATS record in those matchups.

The over/under line for this week is 47.5 points. South Carolina’s games have averaged 49.4 points, with their over/under record at 6-5. Their average line has been 46 points, and they’ve exceeded it by 1.8 points on average.

Gamecocks Offense Breakdown

South Carolina’s offense is averaging 31.6 points per game, ranking 34th nationally, and they are 42nd in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing game is strong, with 42.1 attempts per game, placing them 11th in the country, and they are averaging 191.3 rushing yards per game.

Raheim Sanders leads the rushing attack with 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 4 yards per carry. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has thrown for 2,274 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, holding a passer rating of 102.

Gamecocks Team Defense

South Carolina's defense has been solid this season, ranking 11th in the nation by allowing just 17.8 points per game. They’ve been particularly strong against the run, giving up only 111.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th nationally.

In their recent game against Clemson, the Gamecocks allowed just 14 points and limited Clemson to 64 rushing yards on 32 attempts. However, they did give up 262 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air.

Fighting Illini Preview:

Against the spread, South Carolina is 8-3, with a perfect 5-0 mark on the road. They’ve covered as underdogs in five of six games, holding a 5-1 ATS record in those matchups.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 1, Illinois is ranked 34th in our offensive power rankings. They are 46th in points per game, scoring 28.9. Luke Altmyer leads the offense with 2,543 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 100.

Illinois ranks 29th in third-down conversions, converting 43.8% of their attempts. They are 78th in passing attempts, averaging 214.3 yards per game. Aidan Laughery leads the rushing attack with 522 yards, while Pat Bryant has 978 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois' defense has given up an average of 22.1 points per game this season, ranking 28th nationally. In their recent game against Northwestern, they allowed 28 points but also forced three interceptions. The Wildcats managed 442 total yards, including 329 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 221.8 passing yards per game against Illinois, completing 59.6% of their throws. On the ground, Illinois has allowed 151.2 rushing yards per game, with Northwestern rushing for 113 yards on 29 attempts.

Gamecocks vs Fighting Illini Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past five road matchups, South Carolina has an ATS record of 5-0 while averaging 27 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
In their last ten games at home, the Illinois Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 23 points per game in these contests.
In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Illinois Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 5-5 and an ATS mark of 7-3.
As the betting favorite, the South Carolina Gamecocks have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. South Carolina posted a straight up mark of 9-1 in these matchups.