Vanderbilt Commodores vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Picks and Prediction - September 13, 2025
A pair of undefeated SEC sides clash on Saturday night and we are breaking it all down then dropping our Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina predictions to help you make an educated play and beat the books! The Commodores (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) put the wood to Virginia Tech last weekend, winning 44-20 on the road as +1.5 underdogs. The 11th ranked Gamecocks (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) took down South Carolina State, 38-10, as -42.5 favorites at home. Kickoff from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia is scheduled for 7:00 EST. Don’t get penalized! Increase your bankroll with our free College Football Betting Picks!
Vanderbilt impresses in second-half swarm
The Commodores have won the first two games of their season for the fourth straight year. Down 20-10 at halftime against Virginia Tech last weekend, the ‘Dores roared back with a dominant second half. The defense allowed just 21 yards and kept Tech scoreless in the second half while the offense planted 34 points on the board. The offense had 480 total yards and the running game accounted for 262 of those yards, with the team averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Diego Pavia threw for 193 yards, 2 TDs, and an interception, and he ran for 61 yards on 11 carries. Sedrick Alexander added 73 yards and 2 TDs on 10 touches. Defensively, they allowed a total of 248 yards to the Hokies and 16 first downs. They forced a fumble of their foe and also recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss.
In their two games, the Vandy offense averaged 485.5 total yards, fifth among SEC teams and 44.5 points per game. The passing attack has averaged 254 yards, and the rush has 231.5 yards per game which has helped the team to 48 first downs. The team has enjoyed the best defense of any SEC team thus far, allowing only 191.5 total yards per game, the fifth-best mark in the country. The Commodores are allowing 11.5 points, and they’ve got six sacks and an interception. Cornerback Martell Hight tops the team with seven tackles, along with linebackers Bryce Cowan and Bryan Longwell.
“I’m excited to take this team on the road in the league, play against a really good South Carolina team [in] a great environment,” said head coach Clark Lea, via VanderbiltHustler.com. “We’re going to have to play really well, so we’re challenged with that, but it’s also what you sign up for.”
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Team notes
- Pavia was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week.
- Nick Rinaldi was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team with six tackles and 2.5 tackled for loss.
- Hight is a two-way player and has recorded three catches for 31 yards as wideout.
- Brock Taylor is 10-11 on PATs and 2-2 on field goal attempts.
South Carolina not yet living up to the billing
South Carolina picked up three spots in the polls after their season-opening win, but in not handling FCS-side South Carolina State with ease, they dropped down to No. 11. Surprisingly enough, the Gamecocks trailed, 3-0, after the first quarter against South Carolina State. Then, in the span of two minutes in the second quarter, Vicari Swain returned back-to-back punt returns for touchdowns to set the Gamecocks on the winning path. The offense had 253 total yards, 16 first downs in the win and went 2-for-2 on fourth downs. The passing game stalled, with QB William Atkins IV going 10-14 for 118 yards. No rusher had more than 20 yards in the game. The South Carolina defense allowed 270 total yards and 13 first downs. They squashed the rush, holding their opponent to 62 yards while the defensive front got to the quarterback for four sacks.
Despite winning both of their games, the South Carolina offense ranks last in the SEC with a 290.5 total yards per game average. They are also averaging 31 points per game but are dead last in the conference with 32 first downs. On defense, they are keeping opponents to 303 total yards and 10.5 points per game. They have been one of the better teams against the run, allowing only 83 yards per game and one TD on the ground. Up front, they’ve been able to put solid pressure on the opposing QB, recording six sacks for 44 yards. That pressure forced two interceptions into their hands.
“This year has nothing to do with those previous years,” said head coach Shane Beamer via TheState.com. “I haven’t been around here for every year that we’ve played Vanderbilt, but I’d be hard-pressed to believe that there’s a better Vanderbilt team that we’ve played during that streak than the one we’re going to play Saturday night.”
Team notes
- The Gamecocks had a rushing TD, passing TD, punt return TD and a fumble return TD last weekend.
- Swain earned was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after his big day last weekend.
- Team scored exactly 38 points versus South Carolina State for the third time in the last four meetings.
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| 4 |  David Delano | +492.00 |
| 5 |  Michael Briggs | +355.00 |
Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina Picks
Spread Pick for Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina
- Vanderbilt +3.5 (5 units)
South Carolina has dominated this season, owning a 30-4 SU record in the head-to-head through the years and they are currently on a 16-game winning streak in the series. Last season, the Gamecocks won, 28-7, as -6 favorites at Vandy. Vanderbilt is coming in with a heap of confidence after pulling off the win that they did last weekend. Thus far, they’ve run a very balanced ship and everyone’s done their job. Pavia is a very seasoned signal caller who is a dual threat and he can keep defenses on their toes with his dual threat abilities. Despite it being just the third week of play, both teams have a common opponent in Virginia Tech. South Carolina opened the season at home against the ACC side and won 24-11 while Vandy went to Blacksburg and walked out with a 44-20 win. The last time this was a close game was in 2021 when the Gamecocks won by just a point. This time around, Vanderbilt can stay in it from start to finish. Whether they break South Carolina’s winning streak is a different debate, but I think they run this one down to the wire.
Take the Commodores getting points.
Over/Under for Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina
- Under 49 (4 units)
These two combined for 35 points when they met last season, hitting the under against a 44.5-point spread. These two teams can get defensive when they meet up. At the very least, South Carolina is, holding Vandy to seven points or less in four of the last six meetings. This time around, I firmly believe that the Commodores do a whole lot more offensively, though combined, I’m not sure these two teams will go over. South Carolina’s offense has had some major trouble getting the ball moving up field. Vandy’s defense should be their toughest test to date and with it also being the SEC opener, things are going to tighten up. While I do think the game will be close, it is going to fall just shy of this total. The under is 6-3-1 in the last ten meetings and between the two teams the under is 3-1 this season.
Take the under.
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