South Carolina Football Was SEC’s Most Profitable Moneyline Team In 2021

The South Carolina football team experienced a resurgence under head coach Shane Beamer in 2021, winning seven games and landing their first bowl victory in four seasons. The Gamecocks picked up huge wins over Auburn and Florida in SEC play, and the seven victories were more than the program recorded in the previous two seasons combined.

While the team saw increased success on the field, there’s another key area where South Carolina excelled this past year. In fact, it topped the SEC.

The Gamecocks were a bettor’s best friend in 2021. While they didn’t lead the league in wins, they were the most profitable money line team to wager on in the nation’s top conference.

How can a team that finished a game above .500 lead the SEC in betting profits?

It’s a simple formula, actually, and one that the Gamecocks took full advantage of.

First, let’s start with defining a money line bet. This is the easiest and most straight forward pick there is.

Essentially, it’s, ‘Will my team win, or will they lose?’

There are no point spreads to worry about, and no outstanding stipulations. Strictly wins and losses.

If I choose the Gamecocks to win and they get a victory on the field, the money line hits. But while it is just that simple, there are still odds to keep track of.

Bettors who successfully choose underdogs will be rewarded more graciously. It makes sense, really.

Underdogs, theoretically, have a lower chance of winning. A $100 bet on Alabama is much different than a $100 bet on the Gamecocks. The Crimson Tide typically have a higher chance of winning each week, which decreases the payout on money line bets. So while Alabama won 13 games this year, bettors can’t cash in at high rates because those wins were expected.

The odds are set in place to help even the playing field. Bettors can’t make a living off of choosing large favorites to take down overmatched opponents. For example, the odds in South Carolina’s win over Eastern Illinois were so high that a $100 bet yielded just $1 in profits to money line bettors.

South Carolina football was SEC’s best team to bet on

Okay, now that we’ve got the money line definition out of the way, let’s get back to that winning formula.

Obviously picking up victories is the most important factor. If you bet $100 on a team to win and they don’t, it’s a quick $100 out of your pocket. But in sports gambling, not all wins are created equal.

First, and foremost, you want to win the games you’re favored in. While payouts will be lower on these victories, winning the games you’re supposed to keeps bettors from falling into massive deficits.

South Carolina went 4-0 as a favorite this past season, picking up wins over Eastern Illinois, East Carolina, Troy, and Vanderbilt. Money line bettors cashed in around $120 over those four victories, with the three-point win over the Pirates ranking as the most profitable ($70 on a $100 wager).

Even more importantly, though, is winning as an underdog. And the Gamecocks did just that.

South Carolina picked up three wins as a betting ‘dog, tied for the most in the league. It also pulled the conference’s largest upset, according to the sportsbooks, with the win over Florida. All three of the team’s upset wins came with Gamecock opponents being favored by more than a touchdown.

Those massive spreads adjusted the odds, resulting in larger payouts for South Carolina backers.

South Carolina was 3-6 as a betting underdog, but those wins helped push profits to the top. Gamecock victories over Florida, Auburn, and UNC yielded nearly $1,400 in winnings for a $100 bettor.

So even when you subtract the $600 for South Carolina’s six losses, you still walk away with $780 on the season when taking the Gamecocks as an underdog. Add on the $120 from the games that South Carolina was favored in, and bettors that backed the team each week walked away with $900 in profits from wagering on the Gamecocks.

That $900 payout was by far the most in the SEC. The next closest team? Texas A&M at $410.

The Aggies made a killing on their upset over Alabama, raking in a $715 win. Unfortunately, they dropped four games as a betting favorite, which stunted potential earnings.

Not surprisingly, Vanderbilt was the SEC’s lowest grossing team. Vandy bettors lost around $780 with the Commodores losing 10 of their 12 contests.

The second-to-lowest program on the list may shock you, though.

Florida bettors lost around $625 wagering on the Gators. Despite finishing the year with a record similar to the Gamecocks, Florida lost a league-high five games as a favorite and was the only SEC team that failed to pick up an upset.

The Gators’ top grossing win was a $55 victory over Florida State. The rest of the Gators’ wins came as huge favorites, with none yielding more than $10 in profits. That, combined with seven losses, resulted in a massive loss for Florida backers.

Check out how the rest of the SEC fared below.

Most to Least Profitable

• South Carolina (+$900) – biggest win: Florida (+$785)
• Texas A&M (+$410) – biggest win: Alabama (+$715)
• Kentucky (+$350) – biggest win: Florida (+$255)
• Alabama (+$190) – biggest win: Georgia (+$195)
• Ole Miss (+$170) – biggest win: Miss St (+$115)
• Arkansas (+$155) – biggest win: Texas (+$180)
• Georgia (+$125) – biggest win: Clemson (+$125)
• Mississippi St (+$20) – biggest win: Texas A&M (+$240)
• LSU (-$20) – biggest win: Florida (+$400)
• Auburn (-$85) – biggest win: Texas A&M (+$165)
• Missouri (-$295) – biggest win: Florida (+$275)
• Tennessee (-$370) – biggest win: Missouri (+$115)
• Florida (-$625) – biggest win: Florida St (+$55)
• Vanderbilt (-$780) – biggest win: Colorado St (+$205)

South Carolina surprised some folks in the 2021 season. Shane Beamer and Co. will look to continue pulling upsets in the SEC when the 2022 campaign rolls around.

Want to keep the profits coming? Make a pick now on WynnBET.