Missouri looks to continue its impressive play in an SEC East matchup against South Carolina in Week 8 at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. We continue our college football odds series with a South Carolina-Missouri prediction, pick, and how to watch.

The Gamecocks have lost two in a row in conference play and now sit at 2-4 on the season. That's not ideal for Shane Beamer's team, as the schedule doesn't get any easier with road trips to Missouri and Texas A&M up next.

As for the Tigers, they've been one of the surprise teams in college football by earning a 6-1 record to this point. It's the best start for the program since going 7-0 to begin the 2013 season.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: South Carolina-Missouri Odds

South Carolina: +7.5 (-115)

Missouri: -7.5 (-105)

Over: 60.5 (-105)

Under: 60.5 (-115)

How to Watch South Carolina vs. Missouri Week 8

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT

TV: SEC Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why South Carolina Will Cover The Spread

The South Carolina team that led two-time defending national champion Georgia 14-3 at halftime is still in there somewhere. Injuries to top playmaker Juice Wells and the offensive line have put a lot of pressure on quarterback Spencer Rattler, yet he's managed it just fine. Rattler has totaled eight combined touchdowns and just two interceptions in the past three games, and his 73.6 percent completion percentage and 163.3 quarterback rating are nothing to scoff at. He's good enough to give his team the boost needed to cover the spread, or possibly even win the game.

That works to the Gamecocks advantage in this particular matchup, as Missouri has been better against the run than the pass. The Tigers are 50th in rushing yards per game allowed (117.7) and 73rd in passing yards per game allowed (227.7), and opposing quarterbacks are completing 62.3 percent of their throws (94th). More importantly, Missouri isn't forcing many turnovers with just seven takeaways in seven games. If Rattler and his favorite target – wide receiver Xavier Legette (37 RECs, 716 REC YDs, 3 TDs) – can keep doing their thing, it'll be a challenge for the Tigers' secondary.

Also, South Carolina finally built some momentum in the running game with 152 yards on the ground in the 41-39 loss to Florida. Running back Mario Anderson has now posted three straight games of 88 or more rushing yards, and hitting that number again is crucial to help open the passing game up even more.

Why Missouri Will Cover The Spread

The problem, of course, for South Carolina is that the offensive line play dictates the success of all those things. As if the previous injuries weren't enough, starting right tackle Vershon Lee suffered a knee injury against Florida, and his status is doubtful for this game. So, the Gamecocks' reshuffled offensive line, which ranks 128th nationally in allowing 4.2 sacks per game, must try to hold off a Missouri defense that had four sacks last week against Kentucky and averages 2.7 sacks per game this season.

However, containing the Tigers' offense could be even tougher. Missouri still isn't getting enough credit on that side of the ball, despite ranking 12th in yards per passing attempt (9.5), 14th in completion percentage (70.5), 18th in passing yards per game (305.6), 23rd in yards per play (6.7), 31st in total yards (444.0), 32nd in yards per completion (13.5), and 36th in scoring offense (33.9 PPG). The Tigers do so many things well, which is fueled by the Brady Cook-Luther Burden connection at quarterback and wide receiver.

Cook has uncharacteristically thrown three interceptions in the past two games, but he should have a bounce-back performance in this spot. The same goes for Burden, who had his worst output of the season at Kentucky in posting just two receptions for 15 yards. He'd racked up seven or more receptions and 96 or more yards in the six games prior to that. The sample size tells us they'll get back on track in this one.

South Carolina is allowing 31.3 points per game (108th), so Missouri putting a lot of points on the board is a realistic expectation.

Final South Carolina-Missouri Prediction & Pick

These are two teams heading in opposite directions. Missouri is as confident as ever, while South Carolina is frustrated by its disappointing play this season. The Tigers have all the momentum at this point, and they've been the most consistent team of the two by far. Maybe the Gamecocks turn things around with an inspired performance, but Missouri should do enough to earn the win by a touchdown or more. The Tigers are the pick.

Final South Carolina-Missouri Prediction & Pick: Missouri -7.5 (-105)