Clemson isn’t used to staring up at the line in this rivalry.
When the Tigers travel to Columbia next Saturday for a noon kickoff against South Carolina, they’ll do it as 2.5-point underdogs at FanDuel Sportsbook — a rare role reversal in one of the sport’s fiercest in-state showdowns.
For Cade Klubnik and a 6–5 Clemson team chasing a stronger finish, it’s one more marker in a season where nothing has felt automatic.
Vegas, FPI Lean Toward the Gamecocks
The numbers are lined up on the home sideline.
FanDuel has installed South Carolina (4–7) as a 2.5-point favorite, just the second time this year Clemson has been an underdog. The last time the Tigers were in this spot, they responded with a gritty 20–19 win at then-No. 20 Louisville as 1.5-point dogs.
ESPN’s Football Power Index backs up the market, giving the Gamecocks a 63.6% chance to win.
If the line holds, it would mark the first time since 2013 that South Carolina is favored in the rivalry. That year, the Gamecocks took a 31–17 victory in Columbia.
Recent Form: Both Coming Off Blowout Wins
Both teams are at least walking into rivalry week with a little momentum.
Clemson tuned up against in-state FCS foe Furman, rolling to a 45–10 win in Death Valley.
South Carolina hammered Coastal Carolina, 51–7, in what was effectively a statement game after a rough stretch.
The Gamecocks have dropped three of their last four overall, but they’ve been more competitive than their record suggests, covering in three of those four and sitting 6–5 against the spread this season.
Clemson has struggled to hit expectations for much of 2025 but has quietly trended better for bettors, covering four times in its last six FBS games despite uneven play.
History Says Clemson Still Owns Columbia
The line may tilt toward South Carolina, but recent history in Columbia leans hard the other way.
Clemson has won five straight road games in the series, turning Williams-Brice Stadium into a second home over the last decade. The last time the Gamecocks cashed as a favorite in Columbia was that 2013 matchup.
Last season flipped some of that script. South Carolina came into Death Valley as a 2.5-point underdog and walked out with a 17–14 upset, a result that still stings around Tiger Town and adds extra edge to this year’s meeting.
For Klubnik, it’s a chance to grab a second rivalry win and regain control of a narrative that’s shifted back and forth over the past few seasons.
Underdog Role Adds Fuel to Rivalry Fire
For Clemson, being an underdog at South Carolina is more than just a betting note — it’s a reflection of where the program sits in 2025.
The Tigers can finish 7–5 with a win, extend their dominance in Columbia and push back against the idea that the gap in this rivalry has permanently closed. South Carolina, meanwhile, can validate Vegas’ belief, back up FPI and stack consecutive wins in the series after last year’s shocker.
The number is small, but the stakes never are when orange and garnet share a field.
The only certainty: by noon on SEC Network, the line won’t matter nearly as much as how Clemson handles being on the other side of it.