Sam Avellone
The meat and potatoes of the opening weekend of college football are behind us, but Sunday’s 2-game slate is exactly the type of dessert I am looking for. The first of Sunday’s 2 standalone games is an ACC-SEC matchup between Virginia Tech and South Carolina, kicking off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 3:00pm ET. Let’s call it the Beamer Ball Battle, as South Carolina coach Shane Beamer faces the program his father famously led for nearly 30 years.
This game will have national attention on ESPN, so a Virginia Tech vs South Carolina same game parlay is in order. Here are my favorite parlay picks for Sunday’s battle between the Hokies and the Gamecocks. Let’s end the opening weekend with a bang!
South Carolina ML (-295)
Kyron Drones (VT) under 216.5 passing + rushing yards (-114)
Michael Smith (SC) anytime TD (+320)
Virginia Tech vs South Carolina same game parlay odds: +728
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at the time of publishing.
South Carolina Gamecocks ML over Virginia Tech Hokies (-295)
All we’ve heard about this offseason is how much talent South Carolina lost defensively, but there’s still reason for optimism with this group. Defensive coordinator Clayton White is one of the best in the country, and new starters Bryan Thomas Jr., Monkell Goodwine, Fred Johnson, and Peyton Williams are flying under the radar. Moreover, the Gamecocks return elite talent in edge rusher Dylan Stewart and a strong secondary led by Judge Collier, Jalon Kilgore, and DQ Smith. Even with the changes, this group should be well-equipped to disrupt a Virginia Tech offense that’s dealing with plenty of its own transitions.
Virginia Tech returns less than half its offensive production from last season, and while quarterback Kyron Drones is back, the current offensive line and receiver groups leave plenty to be desired. The line lacks experience and continuity, with multiple projected starters having played fewer than 200 snaps of collegiate football, and the wide receiver room has little proven production. With Tech also breaking in a new defensive coordinator and replacing its top 7 defenders from last year per PFF grades, it’s hard to trust them to keep up—especially against a dynamic quarterback like LaNorris Sellers.
Be sure to find our college football predictions for the rest of Week 1 and beyond.
Kyron Drones (VT) under 216.5 passing + rushing yards (-114)
The Hokies had a solid offensive line last year, yet Drones still went under this number in 6 of his 9 games. Now, Drones will be playing behind a worse offensive line, in addition to being in a new offensive system without his top 4 pass-catchers. I don’t see his upside against a South Carolina defense that, while replacing a ton of production in the front 7, should still be able to apply pressure on the quarterback with Stewart and Thomas. Remember, sacks count as negative rushing yards for quarterbacks at the college level, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Drones sacked 3 or 4 times in this one.
Michael Smith (SC) anytime TD (+320)
Michael Smith is a sophomore tight end with high upside in the South Carolina offense. Expected to fill the void left by Joshua Simon, who led the team in receiving yards (519) and receiving touchdowns (7), look for the 6’6”, 250-pound Smith to be heavily involved in the passing game – especially deep in the red zone. For what it’s worth, Smith had a touchdown grab on only 14 targets as a true freshman last year, and his new OC Mike Shula – who was with the program as an offensive assistant in 2024 – previously worked as a tight ends coach in the NFL. Needless to say, he’s likely to be one of Sellers’ favorite targets in the red zone.
Get our Virginia Tech vs South Carolina picks, including side and total for this Sunday showdown
