Duke's Mayo Bowl – South Carolina vs. North Carolina Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks, and Betting Preview

The Duke's Mayo Bowl kicks off Thursday, December 30, between the North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6) and the South Carolina Gamecocks (6-6).

It's been a rough go of things for the SEC to begin bowl season. The conference sits with an 0-4 record in bowls to start 2021 and will look to South Carolina to turn things around. The Gamecocks may face a stiff challenge to nab a win for the SEC, as they sit as two-score underdogs against the Tar Heels.

Things didn't go quite as planned for North Carolina this season. After beginning the year ranked in the top-10, the Tar Heels need to win their bowl game to avoid a losing record. The offense held up its end of the bargain led by quarterback Sam Howell (2,851 yards passing and 825 rushing, 34 TDs) and star receiver Josh Downs (1,273 yards, 8 TDs), averaging 36.4 points per game in total. However, the defense was a cause for concern, allowing 31.6 points per game and faltering when needed most.

South Carolina couldn't get anything going offensively, scoring just 21.3 points per game. The Gamecocks reached bowl eligibility thanks to an upset win over Auburn in the season's second-to-last game. While North Carolina has struggled at times defensively this season, the ugliest outings came against some of the ACC's top offenses. This is a step down in competition for the defense, facing a terrible South Carolina offense. 

North Carolina should finish the season on a high note as Sam Howell looks to put on a show one last time for NFL scouts in attendance. The Gamecocks don't have the firepower to go score-for-score with the Tar Heels, and this could get out of hand if they go down early.

All CFB game predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid

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