Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina Picks and Prediction, Saturday, September 13, 2025
The Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0) and the #11 South Carolina Gamecocks (2-0) will fire up SEC play with their first conference game on Saturday in this Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina prediction. These teams met last season, with South Carolina winning 28-7 on the road. Vandy is coming off a strong 44-20 win on the road against Virginia Tech, while South Carolina won 38-10 at home against South Carolina State. Kickoff is set for 7:45 EST and can be found on the SEC Network. Keep reading to see our Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina prediction, and check out all of our best NCAAF Predictions!
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Vanderbilt Looks for Statement Win
The Vanderbilt Commodores have long been one of the bottom teams in the intensely competitive SEC, but gained some momentum last year and hope to bring it into 2025. They beat Alabama, Kentucky and Auburn last season, finishing the season with a win in the Birmingham Bowl over Georgia Tech. Clark Lea is back for his fifth season as head coach of the Commodores, and the team looked strong last week as they went into Virginia Tech and won by 24 despite being 2.5-point dogs.
They are led by their quarterback, Diego Pavia, who successfully petitioned the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility over the offseason. He played two seasons with New Mexico State, then two more at Vandy and led the team to some exciting wins last year. He is a mobile quarterback who is up to 468 passing yards with a 5-1 TD-INT ratio to begin his final season. The mobile quarterback already has 105 rushing yards through the first two wins. Sedrick Alexander has been their top threat in the run game. The 5'9 junior power rusher is in his third season with Vandy. He has 156 yards and two touchdowns so far.
Tre Richardson is a fast 5'10 receiver with eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Eli Stowers is a big target at 6'4 and 235 pounds, while grabbing another eight passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. CJ Heard has been one of their top defenders; the sophomore safety has five tackles and an interception to start the year.
Gamecocks Open Conference Play
As expected, many teams in the SEC believe they are capable of making the College Football Playoff, and the South Carolina Gamecocks are on that list. The Gamecocks have not been at the top of the conference very often, but have a likely NFL player at Quarterback, and won six straight games to close out their regular season last year, before falling to Illinois in the Citrus Bowl. South Carolina also played Virginia Tech this season, coming away with a 24-11 win at home before easily dispatching South Carolina State last week.
LaNorris Sellers is their quarterback with all the potential in the world. He is a 6'3, 240-pound quarterback with a mix of athletic ability and pocket presence. He was thrust into the lineup as a redshirt freshman last season, but performed well with 2,534 passing yards and an 18-7 TD-INT ratio while leading the team to six wins at the end of the regular season. He has passed for 337 yards through the first two games this year, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Gamecocks have been sharing carries out of the backfield, with Oscar Ardaway III leading the way as a 5'11 senior with 80 yards on 21 carries.
Sellers has been sharing the wealth out to his passing targets, as he has five pass catchers with three or four receptions on the season, with no one standing above the crowd. Nyck Harbor has gained the most yards. He is a big target on the outside at 6'5 with three catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. Dylan Stewart is an edge rusher with NFL talent, he already has two sacks on the season and will keep the pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina Prediction and Picks
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Spread Pick for Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina
- South Carolina -3.5 (5 units)
This is a steal for South Carolina, as the Gamecocks are only laying 3.5 points and will win by plenty more than that. South Carolina is the stronger team and will easily win the battle in the trenches. Too much attention will be paid to the quarterbacks. Pavia is exciting, but he does not have the top-level talent that Sellers has. South Carolina is bigger up front, and Dylan Stewart has First Team All-SEC potential as an electric edge rusher. South Carolina's defensive pressure will force Pavia to scramble more often, and he will be running for his life regularly in this SEC opener. The Gamecocks have their eyes on a big prize this season, and they will not stumble against Vanderbilt.
Take South Carolina to win and cover.
Over/Under Pick for Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina
- Over 49.5
This is going to be a shootout. South Carolina is the pick based on Sellers and their defense, but that does not mean they will completely shut down Pavia and this Vanderbilt offense. Pavia has been starting in college football for four seasons, and he will be able to create points with his creativity out of the pocket. Vanderbilt just scored 44 points last week against a power-conference team in Virginia Tech; they will score enough to help this over. South Carolina is facing one of their top challenges of the year, and will rise to the occasion, putting up a big number here.
Take the over.
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