South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech prediction, odds: 2025 Week 1 college football picks by expert on 14-2 roll

The Virginia Tech Hokies take on the 13th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in a 2025 Aflac Kickoff Game season-opening battle on Sunday. It will be the first meeting between the teams since 1991. The Hokies (6-7 in 2024), who tied for eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference at 4-4 last season, were 0-1 at a neutral site. The Gamecocks (9-4 in 2024), who tied for fourth in the Southeastern Conference at 5-3 a year ago, were 0-1 at a neutral site.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. South Carolina leads the all-time series 11-7-2, but Virginia Tech holds a 3-1 edge at neutral sites. The Gamecocks are 7-point favorites in the latest Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 51.5, up three points from the opening line. South Carolina is undefeated (4-0-2) in its last six meetings against Virginia Tech and is -279 money line favorites on Sunday. Before making any South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech picks, be sure to see what SportsLine expert Mike Tierney has to say. 

A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Tierney had a tremendous 2024 college football season in which he finished 62-41 (plus $1,649 for $100 players). He is also 14-2 (+1175) in his last 16 picks involving South Carolina. Anyone following could’ve seen huge returns. 

Now, Tierney has set his sights on Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina and just locked in his picks and college football predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college football odds and college football betting lines for South Carolina vs. Virginia Tech:

Why South Carolina can win

Redshirt sophomore LaNorris Sellers returns as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback. In 12 games last season, he completed 65.6% of his passes for 2,543 yards and 18 touchdowns with seven interceptions for a rating of 151.9. The dual-threat also carried 166 times for 674 yards (4.1 average) and seven touchdowns. In a 56-12 win over Wofford on Nov. 23, he completed 23 of 27 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed 13 times for 53 yards and one score.

Sellers’ top returning target is junior wide receiver Nyck Harbor. In 10 games last season, he caught 26 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns. In a 34-30 win over Missouri on Nov. 16, he caught two passes for 69 yards and one touchdown. He caught four passes for 61 yards in a 21-17 loss to Illinois in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. See which team to back at SportsLine. 

Why Virginia Tech can win

Senior quarterback Kyron Drones returns as the starter for the Hokies. In nine starts last season, he completed 136 of 224 passes (60.7%) for 1,562 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 128.7 rating. He was also the Hokies’ second-leading rusher, carrying 98 times for 336 yards (3.4 average) and six touchdowns. In last year’s season opener, a 34-27 overtime loss at Vanderbilt, he completed 22 of 33 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

Junior Ayden Greene is among the top returning wide receivers. He caught nine passes for 66 yards and one touchdown in 2024. He had a team-high 115 yards receiving on six catches in a 24-10 loss to Minnesota at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 3. He also had two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in a 24-14 loss to Clemson on Nov. 9. See which team to back at SportsLine, and new users can also check out the latest bet365 bonus code to get $200 in bonus bets after placing a $5 bet:

How to make Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina picks

Tierney has analyzed Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina from every angle, and he’s leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back?. You can head to SportsLine to see his Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina picks. Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the expert who is 14-2 on his last 16 picks involving the South Carolina Gamecocks, and find out.