A couple of teams that fell short in their respective conferences will get a second chance to bring home some hardware when the No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks meet the No. 23 Florida State Seminoles in the Chick-fil-A bowl. Both teams lost in their conference championship games, the Gamecocks in the and the Seminoles in the ACC.

•Chick-fil-A Bowl
•South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Florida State Seminoles
•Friday December 31, 2010 – 7:30 PM ET
•Online Sports Betting Odds: South Carolina – 3

This game will feature two of the top defenses in the college football betting nation, after South Carolina led the SEC in rush defense and sacks, while Florida State finished second in the nation in sacks. Those numbers should keep Stephen Garcia and Christian Ponder on their toes.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: South Carolina
Garcia will get help from running back Marcus Lattimore, who finished second in the SEC to Heisman trophy winner Cameron Newton in both rushing yards and touchdowns with totals of 1,198 and 17. The Seminoles’ defense has allowed 127.9 rushing yards per game this season, so expect the freshman to get a lot of carries. Head coach Steve Spurrier has found the perfect balance between the run and pass, and Lattimore and Garcia have benefited tremendously from game planning. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery will once again be the go-to pass-catcher for Garcia after setting single-season school records for receptions and yards. He’ll play a key role in Garcia trying to bounce back after a sub-par performance in the SEC Championship in which he threw two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions and managed just 170 yards. The Gamecocks led the SEC in sacks, and should be all over Ponder until the final whistle.

NCAA Football Betting Preview: Florida State
That’s if Ponder even gets in to the game after having fluid drained from his elbow on a regular basis through the second half of the season. EJ Manuel threw two interceptions, including one for a touchdown in relief of Ponder, and which of the two gets the start on Friday will be a game-time decision, although both should see time. With the uncertainty at quarterback, the Seminoles will need a strong performance from their running game after being held to just 53 rushing yards against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC championship game. Florida State averaged 177.7 per game during the regular season, and after watching the way the defense struggled in the loss to the Hokies, head coach Jimbo Fisher will need his offense to be at its football betting best.

The Match Up: South Carolina vs. Florida State
The Gamecocks are too good on both sides of the sportsbook bonus ball for the Seminoles to keep pace for long, especially with the uncertainty facing their quarterback situation. Florida State has struggled against the run all year, and that will continue with Spurrier finding ways to get the ball in the hands of Lattimore.

Chick-fil-A Bowl Betting Pick: South Carolina

Written with pros from BetOnline