The South Carolina Gamecocks look to remain perfect in the all-time series when they host the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Thursday. This game was originally scheduled for Saturday but it was moved to Thursday evening due to concerns surrounding Hurricane Ian. South Carolina (2-2) won both of the previous meetings between the schools at home, cruising to a 38-3 victory in 2007 and a 38-14 triumph two years later. The Gamecocks are coming off a 56-20 win against Charlotte on Saturday, while the Bulldogs (1-2) lost 41-27 at North Carolina A&T in their last outing.

Kickoff at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Gamecocks are 39.5-point favorites in the latest South Carolina vs. South Carolina State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. Before making any South Carolina State vs. South Carolina picks or college football predictions, you need to see what SportsLine college football expert Mike Tierney has to say.

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney has converted college football of all levels for decades. He has emerged as one of SportsLine’s leading analysts in all sports and is 13-10 on his last 23 against-the-spread college football picks.

What’s more, he has a keen sense for the trajectory of the Gamecocks. He is 14-1 in his last 15 picks involving South Carolina, returning almost $1,300 to $100 bettors.

Now, the Tierney has set his sights on South Carolina vs. South Carolina State and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for South Carolina State vs. South Carolina:

• South Carolina vs. South Carolina State spread: Gamecocks -39.5
• South Carolina vs. South Carolina State over/under: 55.5 points
• SC: The Gamecocks haven’t posted back-to-back wins since starting 2021 with a 2-0 record
• SCS: The Bulldogs have allowed 106 points in their first three games this season
• South Carolina vs. South Carolina State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why South Carolina can cover

The Gamecocks have won 35 of their last 41 home games versus non-conference opponents, including triumphs over Georgia State and Charlotte this season. They are 38-12 overall in their last 50 non-conference games, with seven of the losses coming against Clemson. The team also has enjoyed tremendous success versus schools that currently do not reside in a Power Five conference, posting a 51-4 record in such contests since 2001.

South Carolina ran for six touchdowns in last week’s victory against the 49ers and already has matched its total of rushing TDs in 2021. MarShawn Lloyd registered half of the team’s ground scores on Saturday and has five on the season after notching one in 11 games last year. The sophomore, who also has a receiving touchdown this campaign, more than doubled his output of 75 rushing yards over his first three outings of 2022 by gaining 169 on 15 carries — both of which were career highs.

Why South Carolina State can cover 

Quarterback Corey Fields came up with one of the best performances of his career in Saturday’s loss to the Aggies, throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns. The senior has made four TD tosses in two of his last four outings, also accomplishing the feat in the Bulldogs’ 31-10 victory against Jackson State in last year’s Celebration Bowl. Fields’ favorite target was junior wideout Shaquan Davis, who hauled in six passes for 127 yards and extended his streak to five straight games with a TD reception dating back to last season.

South Carolina State will be hoping for a better effort on the ground as it rushed 22 times for only 12 yards versus North Carolina A&T. Coach Buddy Pough is optimistic about the availability of Kendrell Flowers, who made one catch for six yards but did not have a carry in last week’s contest due to an undisclosed injury. The sophomore running back is averaging 6.5 yards per rushing attempt this season after recording 153 and two touchdowns against Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 10.

How to make South Carolina State vs. South Carolina picks

Tierney has analyzed this matchup, and while we can tell you he’s leaning Over on the point total, he also has discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

So who wins South Carolina vs. South Carolina State? And what crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the South Carolina State vs. South Carolina spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert that has crushed his college football picks, and find out.