Florida Favored in East Region Final Following Sweet 16 Heroics

Two SEC schools are set to meet in the East Region final after their respective wins in the Sweet 16. South Carolina, the more unlikely of the pair to reach the Elite Eight, opened as a 3.5-point underdog after knocking Baylor out of the tournament. Florida, meanwhile, just barely escaped a thriller against Wisconsin that was decided by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer – our first of March.

SHARK BITES
  • South Carolina is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games against Florida.
  • The favored team is 3-0 ATS in its last 3 games in this matchup.
  • South Carolina is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games against its conference.

Chris Chiozza, the man who hit that final shot, will go down in Florida Gator history win or lose Sunday but if that heroic trey leads to a run to the championship, he’ll become immortal. The Gamecocks haven’t been much for the heroics this March as they’ve just decided to steamroll all their opponents instead. With an average margin of victory of 16, South Carolina has been one of the most surprising stories of the tournament.

With these teams splitting their two SEC regular-season games this season, it’s tough to find an edge, but when you consider how easily the Gators dealt with the Gamecocks back in February in one of the last games of the season, the needle moves in the direction of Florida. The Gators held their conference rivals to a 39.3 shooting percentage in the 81-66 win and limited the Gamecocks to just three treys in 14 attempts.

In this kind of game, I tend to lean toward the pedigree – right or wrong. Florida is a two-time national champion this millennium and the Gators were extremely lucky to draw a team they know so well in the Elite Eight.

South Carolina has been just OK as a dog this season, going 5-4 straight up when getting points but Florida has been clinical when favored to win and has a sparkling 26-3 SU record in that scenario. I like the Gators to win this game and I think they also cover the spread.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs Florida Gators Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

The South Carolina Gamecocks will look to cover the spread vs the Florida Gators on Sunday, as the Gamecocks are 15-18 ATS versus the spread this season, while the Gators are 20-13-1 ATS. South Carolina is 13-19-1 against the total, while Florida is 15-19 versus the total betting line.

The Gators - Gamecocks odds would favor the Gators if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Florida is rated No. 19 in the current Odds Shark poll, while South Carolina is at No. 168.

Statistical Matchup

In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Florida's No. 74-rated squad against South Carolina's No. 110-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Florida rates No. 107 in the country with 7.74 per game, while their foes tonight, the South Carolina Gamecocks rank No. 177 nationally with 6.83 per match.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The battle between the Gamecocks and Bears didn’t turn out to be much of a battle at all as Baylor was handed a 70-50 defeat on Friday at Madison Square Garden.

KeVaughn Allen poured in a team-high 35 points for Florida on Friday, as they defeated Wisconsin 84-83 at Madison Square Garden.

South Carolina is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games against Florida.away The favored team is 3-0 ATS in its last 3 games in this matchup.home South Carolina is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games against its conference.away
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