The South Carolina Gamecocks hit the road for one game as they enter Thompson-Boling Arena to tip off against the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers. South Carolina is looking to string together victories for the first time since mid-January, while Tennessee aims to extend its school-record 18-game winning streak. The Vols picked up a 92-70 victory over the Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena on January 29 and are a 15.5-point favorite to complete the season sweep tonight with the total Sportsbook at 154 points.
- Tennessee is 18-0 SU and 11-6-1 ATS in its last 18 games.
- Tennessee averages the fifth-most points per game in the nation this season (85.4).
- The total has gone OVER in eight of South Carolina’s last 11 games.
South Carolina vs Tennessee Game Center
Can anyone slow down the Volunteers?
The only taste of defeat Tennessee has had this year came when it was topped 87-81 in overtime by then-No. 2 Kansas in the NIT Season Tip-Off back on November 23. Since then, it has rattled off 18 consecutive victories and most recently topped Florida 73-61 to earn its 10th straight SEC win.
Filling the basket hasn’t been an issue for the Volunteers this season as they pour in an average of 85.4 points per game for the No. 5 mark in college basketball and score 83.8 ppg at home. They don’t pull up from beyond the arc that often, electing to take just 18.6 triple attempts per game to rate 316th and that falls to 15.8 at home, the fifth-fewest in the country. However, they score the second-most ppg from two-point range at 47.8 and shoot 58.1 percent from there.
Meanwhile, Tennessee really clamps down on defense in front of its home fans, surrendering 68.5 ppg overall to rank 85th but yielding just 62.7 ppg at Thompson-Boling Arena. It also restricts foes to the 19th-lowest shooting percentage in the league at 39.9 and ranks 16th by holding opponents to 44.5 percent shooting inside the arc.
Gamecocks’ Defense Continues to be an Issue
South Carolina has been struggling to find consistency within SEC play, beginning 4-0 against conference foes but splitting its last six for a 7-3 record, and it is 3-4 SU in its last seven overall. Most recently, it earned a 77-65 home victory over Arkansas and now seeks its first winning streak since it picked up five triumphs in a row from the end of December into mid-January.
The scoring has been just OK this season. The No. 143 offense averages 73 points per game overall and 71.5 ppg away from home. Similar to Tennessee, South Carolina only takes 20.3 three-point attempts per game (253rd) and shoots just 33.6 percent from downtown (208th). The Gamecocks score 37.5 points per game from two-point range, which are the 105th-most, but they rank 249th by shooting just 47.9 percent from inside the arc.
Keeping points off the board has been a significant issue for the Gamecocks as they are surrendering 75 points per game, the 114th-most in the nation. That being said, they are quite good at limiting opponents around the rim, holding them to a 47.1 shooting percentage from two-point range which is the 51st-lowest in the nation. However, they allow extra opportunities for their foes as they rank 275th in giving up offensive rebounds to opponents and 290th in turnovers per game. They’ve averaged 17.7 giveaways over their last three.
Is an OVER in store for tonight’s game?
We have a top-rated offense going against a sloppy defense and Sportsbook has the total Sportsbook at 154 points. Tennessee has been a strong OVER play recently, going OVER in six of its last 10 games, with four games going OVER 154 points.
Meanwhile, South Carolina has gone OVER in eight of its last 11 games with six games going OVER 154 points. Additionally, these two teams met on January 29 and played to a combined score of 162. I expect another OVER to come through tonight.
My take on South Carolina vs Tennessee
I like Tennessee to cover the 15.5-point spread. During the Vols’ 18-game winning streak, they have had an average winning margin of 18.44 with 10 games being won by 17 or more points. That includes a 22-point victory at South Carolina just over two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the Gamecocks have 11 losses this season and five of those have been by 17 or more points and they have an average losing margin of 14. South Carolina gets the bulk of its offense from inside the arc but only shoots 47.9 percent from there to rank 249th, while Tennessee limits foes to 44.5 percent shooting from two-point range to rank 16th.
Lastly, the Gamecocks rank 275th in opponent offensive boards and 290th in turnovers per game, which will lead to more scoring opportunities for the Vols, who have the second-best shooting percentage in the nation.
