What Vegas Thinks: Gamecocks on wrong side of history with 2021 betting line vs UK

Alexis Cubit
·3 min read

When the betting lines were released on Sunday, South Carolina opened as a six-point underdog to Kentucky.

UK has won six of the last seven games in the series. Before that, South Carolina won 13 of 14 games against Kentucky from 2000 to 2013. The Gamecocks were 20-point favorites or more in the matchups played in USC’s 11-win seasons of 2011, 2012 and 2013.

ESPN Chalk gambling writer David Purdum joins us to about what the 2021 betting like vs. UK means for the Gamecocks and how the rest of the schedule might look for them.

The State: For a second week, South Carolina is an underdog and this time it’s Kentucky. What are your thoughts on that line?

David Purdum: It is the first time that South Carolina has been a home underdog to Kentucky since 1999. So it’s been a long time. Obviously, they play every year. Again, another example of where South Carolina’s program is at this time. They’re almost always favored over Kentucky when they’ve got them at home. At least they’ve been a dog to Kentucky on the road, but not at home. For them to be a home underdog really kind of shows where this program has been.

TS: The line’s kind of holding steady there, right?

DP: They opened to six-point underdogs. It’s kind of settled at five and a half at most books. So it has seen a little bit of money or odds movement toward South Carolina.

Editor’s note: The line was UK by 5 points as of Wednesday morning.

TS: How have Kentucky teams fared against the spread over the last 10 years?

DP: Since 2012 ... South Carolina’s 58-54-3 since 2012. against the spread. Kentucky is 50-64-0 against the spread, so not good. It’s among the bottom 20 teams against the spread in that time range.

TS: After this week, South Carolina will have a non-conference game against Troy and then get back in action against Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, looking at their schedule. Do you see them kind of being favored in any of the remaining games?

DP: I don’t know how good Troy is.. I would assume (USC will) be favored over them. They’ll be favored over Vanderbilt for sure. Other than that, I can’t think of another SEC team that they could be favored over. I would think Tennessee would be favored over them. Yeah, other than Vanderbilt, I don’t see another SEC team that they would be favored over, specifically in the East Division.

TS: And then ending the season when Clemson.

DP: They will be a massive underdog.

South Carolina vs Kentucky football odds history

USC home games in bold (odd years). * denotes last time Kentucky was the favorite at Williams-Brice Stadium.

  • 2021: UK by 5.5

  • 2020: UK by 11.5 (UK won 41-18)

  • 2019: USC by 3.5 (USC won 24-7)

  • 2018: UK by 1 (UK won 24-10)

  • 2017: USC by 5.5 (UK won 23-13)

  • 2016: UK by 2.5 (UK won 17-10)

  • 2015: USC by 7 (UK won 26-22)

  • 2014: USC by 4.5 (UK won 45-38)

  • 2013: USC by 21.5 (USC won 35-28)

  • 2012: USC by 20 (USC won 38-17)

  • 2011: USC by 20.5 (USC won 54-3)

  • 2010: USC by 5.5 (UK won 31-28)

  • 2009: USC by 9 (USC won 28-26)

  • 2008: USC by 2.5 (USC won 24-17)

  • 2007: USC by 4.5 (USC won 38-23)

  • 2006: USC by 3 (USC won 24-17)

  • 2005: USC by 10.5 (USC won 44-16)

  • 2004: USC by 13 (USC won 12-7)

  • 2003: USC by 8.5 (USC won 27-21)

  • 2002: UK by 3.5 (USC won 16-12)

  • 2001: USC by 22 (USC won 42-6)

  • 2000: UK by 2.5 (USC won 20-17)

  • * 1999: UK by 8 (UK won 30-10)

  • 1998: UK by 14 (UK won 33-28)

Odds history according to OddsShark