The Auburn Tigers had a rough week last week. Not only did they choke away a 28-3 lead to Mississippi State, they also lost quarterback Bo Nix, who needed ankle surgery after getting injured in the game.
The Tigers are already bowl eligible at 6-4, but the rest of the season isn’t looking all that bright. Now they'll prepare for a matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks, who are college football betting underdogs at home this week but need one more win to become bowl eligible.
Could this be the perfect spot for South Carolina to steal a victory, against a banged-up Auburn team? Here are our free college football picks and predictions Auburn vs. South Carolina on Saturday, November 20.
Auburn vs South Carolina odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Auburn opened as a 9.5-point favorite but has now moved down to -7.5, with some outlets even offering a juiced -7. Meanwhile, the total also took a hit after opening at 47.5, dropping by a field goal to 44.5 at most outlets. Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full college football odds before placing your bets.
Auburn vs South Carolina predictions
Predictions made on 11/17/2021 at 8:31 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021 college football season, here are two of the best welcome bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Get a 100%-matched sign-up bonus (up to $400) at BetVictor. Claim Now
Auburn vs South Carolina game info
• Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbus, SC
• Date: Saturday, November 20, 2021
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Auburn vs South Carolina betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key injuries
Auburn: Bo Nix QB (Out), Ben Patton K (Out), Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. WR (Out), Kobe Hudson WR (Out).
South Carolina: Jaylin Dickerson DB (Questionable), Luke Doty QB (Out), Zeb Noland QB (Questionable), Dylan Wonnum OL (Questionable).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Gamecocks are 0-5-1 ATS in their last six games as a home underdog of 3.5-10. Find more NCAA betting trends for Auburn vs. South Carolina.
Auburn vs South Carolina picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Auburn won’t have Bo Nix under center but the Tigers will have a somewhat experienced quarterback in T.J. Finley, who started multiple games with LSU last season as a true freshman and saw some action earlier this season when Nix was struggling.
Nix will obviously be a huge loss, however, after he totaled 2,294 yards passing and 168 more rushing on 57 attempts. He was inconsistent this season but when he was playing with confidence, he was tough to take down. Auburn will now more than likely rely heavily on the run game with Tank Bigsby, who has 156 carries for 776 yards with nine touchdowns and should be able to get plenty of yards going up against a below-average South Carolina run-stopping unit.
The Gamecocks allow 168.9 yards per game on the ground, despite only allowing 354.7 yards per game defensively. The Gamecocks defense really isn’t that bad as its allowed just 24.4 points per game. However, the offense is only mustering 23.5 pppg and 333.3 ypg.
South Carolina will use its third quarterback this season against Auburn after naming Jason Brown the starter this week. Luke Doty and Zeb Noland have been injured throughout the year, now giving Brown a chance to shine.
He went just 16 for 30 at Missouri last week in a 31-28 loss, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception. It's good that he kept South Carolina in the game... but it’s going to be a bit harder against this Auburn defense though.
Prediction: Auburn -7.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
Auburn is averaging 31.6 ppg, but the moment T.J. Finley steps in under center, the offense loses a bunch of playmaking. The total has adjusted as well, knowing two backup quarterbacks will start in this game between him and Brown.
Finley is more of a pocket passer and while he can be hard to take down at times, he has no mobility. Meanwhile, Brown barely completed more than 50 percent of his passes against Missouri last week.
Auburn’s defense should put a ton of pressure on Brown and if Finley gets a chance to throw the ball, South Carolina’s coverage and pass rush unit could counter and make plays. In the passing game, the South Carolina defense has allowed just 185.8 yards per game.
The defenses will rule in this one.
Prediction: Under 44.5 (-110)
Best bet
With two backups getting the start — against two extremely reliable defenses — how do you not take the under?
Finley was a top recruit, and has plenty of potential, but he’s never been consistent throughout his time with LSU and Auburn.
Meanwhile, Brown is the third-string quarterback for South Carolina and hasn’t completed 60 percent of passes in any games in which he’s gotten extended run this year.
Pick: Under 44.5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed our Auburn vs. South Carolina picks, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our college football parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
