No. 9 South Carolina and its SEC East rival Vanderbilt open the 2012 college football season tonight with a meeting at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game, which has a scheduled start time of 7:00pm ET, will be broadcast live on ESPN. South Carolina at Vanderbilt Odds have the visiting Gamecocks listed as a -6.5 against the spread favorite while the Commodores are getting +215 moneyline odds to start their season with a victory. Tonight’s game total is set at 45 points.

Vanderbilt is often viewed as the weak sister of the SEC and, for the most part, the school has earned its reputation. However, last year’s Commodore squad went 6-6 in the regular season while registering conference wins over Kentucky and Mississippi. Vandy, who fell 24-31 to Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl, nearly garnered a few more league victories as it lost to Georgia, Arkansas, and Florida by a combined 13 points.

One team that did not have difficulty sliding past the Commodores was their opponent this evening, South Carolina. Vanderbilt actually led the Gamecocks 3-0 at the break, but Steve Spurrier’s troops rallied in the second half to win the game 21-3. The victory served as South Carolina’s third in a row over its rival.

While no one is expecting Vanderbilt to contend for a division or conference title this season, people are taking notice of James Franklin’s crew. Fifteen starters are back from last year’s team, including quarterback Jordan Rodgers and running back Zac Stacey (1193 yards, 14 touchdowns), which means last season’s near misses could benefit them in their 2012 campaign.

In all probability it will not help them tonight, though. The Commodores offense is far from prolific, and it will have its hands full dealing with a Gamecocks defensive line that is, arguably, the best in the SEC. If Stacey is unable to move the chains on the ground, it could be a long night for Vanderbilt.

Nonetheless, Vandy is used to difficult offensive outings against SC. The Commodores have scored a grand total of 20 points in their last three games opposite the Gamecocks, and they have also been offensively challenged in tonight’s situation. In Vanderbilt’s last eight games as a home dog with a game total between 44.5 and 47, the team has tallied 82 points (10.3 points per game), leading to a 7-1 record for the Under and a 1-7 record for the Commodores (2-6 against the spread)

Free Pick: Take the Under 45 and South Carolina -6.5 in tonight’s game .

South Carolina at Vanderbilt Odds:

South Carolina Gamecocks -6.5 (-110), Over 45 (-110), -255 (Moneyline)

Vanderbilt Commodores +6.5 (-110), Under 45 (-110), +215 (Moneyline)

CFB Free Picks: South Carolina at Vanderbilt Betting
What Football bettors need to know about South Carolina at Vanderbilt on Thursday with Pregame.com's Vegas Runner, Marco D'Angelo, Johnny Detroit and host RJ Bell.