Appalachian State vs South Carolina NCAA Football Betting Tips 11/9/2019

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Williams-Brice Stadium

Zac Thomas and the Appalachian State Mountaineers head to Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday where they'll take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The odds on this game have South Carolina as 5-point favorites. The Mountaineers are 5-3-0 ATS and 4-4-0 when betting on the total. The Gamecocks are 4-5-0 when wagering on the over/under and 5-4-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Appalachian State Mountaineers faced the Georgia Southern Eagles and took the loss by a score of 24-21. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mountaineers was Zac Thomas who went 25/51 with 271 yards through the air and completed 3 TD's. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Darrynton Evans led the team on the ground for that contest. He had a long run of 19 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He rushed for a total of 76 yards on 17 carries which meant he averaged 4.5 yards per run. Malik Williams led the team in receiving yardage by earning 89 yards on 8 receptions. He earned an average of 11.1 yards per catch for that contest. The Mountaineers ran the ball 30 times and added 152 yards which earned them an average of 5.1 yards per run. Overall, they ran 81 plays which added up to 423 yards. Overall, the Mountaineers totaled 23 first downs and they totaled 4 penalties for 43 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When it comes to their defensive performance, Appalachian State allowed 1 catches on 4 throws for a total of 16 yards, and a completion percentage of 25.0%. Against the run, the Mountaineers allowed 335 yards on 56 runs which is an average of 6.0 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they gave up 351 yards but didn't add to their total of forced turnovers.

The Mountaineers come into this matchup with a record of 7-1 for the 2019 season. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country with an average of 38.5 points per game, ranking them 13th in college football. As a team, they are averaging 232.6 yards on the ground per game which is 4th in the conference. For total yards, they sit in 5th in the Sun Belt Conference and 62nd in college football with 3,500 yards. The Mountaineers have one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing 19.6 points per game ranking them 2nd in the Sun Belt Conference. In regard to rushing yards, Appalachian State is allowing 164.5 yards per contest putting them 4th in the conference and 72nd in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.3 yards per rush putting them 4th in the Sun Belt and 74th in D-1 overall. In total, they have allowed 1,316 yards rushing through 8 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Mountaineers have conceded 1,639 yards. Teams are completing 56.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.

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In their last outing, the South Carolina Gamecocks faced the Vanderbilt Commodores and ended up getting the victory by a score of 24-7. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Gamecocks was Ryan Hilinski who went 24/31 with 235 yards passing and added 2 touchdowns. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Deshaun Fenwick paced the team on the ground during the game. He broke a long run for 18 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He rushed for 102 yards by way of 18 carries which means he ran for an average of 5.7 yards per run. Bryan Edwards was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 139 yards on 14 catches. He earned an average of 9.9 yards per reception during the game. The Gamecocks ran the football 49 times and generated 205 yards earning them an average of 4.2 yards per rush. In all, they finished with a total of 80 plays which added up to 440 yards. On the day, the Gamecocks racked up 25 1st downs and they totaled 11 penalties for 94 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When it comes to their defensive performance, South Carolina gave up 11 catches on 21 throws for a total of 76 yards, and a completion percentage of 52.4%. Against the run, the Gamecocks gave up 113 yards on 29 attempts which means they had an average of 3.9 yards per rushing attempt allowed. In the game, they allowed a total of 189 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

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The Gamecocks come into this game with a record of 4-5. In discussing the offensive production, the Gamecocks have one of the average offenses in college football. South Carolina has made teams respect their running game by averaging 184.6 rushing yards per game, ranking them 49th in D-1. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,661 yards rushing through 9 contests, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Gamecocks average 409.2 yards per contest overall which has them at 62nd in the nation and 8th in the SEC. The Gamecocks are conceding 25 points per contest which puts them at 10th in the conference and 49th in D-1. Their pass defense is one of the mediocre units in D-1. They are allowing 242.3 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Gamecocks sit in 12th in the conference. When it comes to points allowed, they have given up 225 total points. When talking about rushing yards, they are allowing 141.1 yards per contest which puts them at 49th in college football and 9th in the Southeastern Conference. For this year, they have conceded 1,270 yards rushing and 3.6 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Mountaineers/Gamecocks college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Mountaineers +5

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