Subscribe
Follow Us
The No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (23-4) visit the South Carolina Gamecocks (10-17) on Wednesday night! Action tips off at 9:00 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with an Alabama-South Carolina prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Alabama is coming off a dominant 49-point win over Georgia and sits at 13-1 and in first place in the SEC. The Crimson Tide covered 62% of their games while 54% went under the projected point total. South Carolina has won two of their last three games but still sits at 3-11 and in 12th place in the SEC. The Gamecocks covered 52% of their games while 52% went under. This will be the first meeting of the season between the conference foes. Alabama has won seven consecutive matchups dating back to 2017 and they are 5-2 ATS during that time.
Here are the Alabama-South Carolina college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Alabama-South Carolina Odds
Alabama: -17.5 (-102)
South Carolina: +17.5 (-120)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How To Watch Alabama vs. South Carolina
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Alabama Could Cover The Spread
Alabama has been one of the most dominant teams in the country this season. Despite a brutal non-conference schedule, the Crimson Tide went 10-3 and picked up wins over Michigan State, Houston, and North Carolina. Although they did suffer double-digit losses to both UConn and Oklahoma, the Crimson Tide have otherwise looked the part of a national championship contender. The advanced rankings agree with that sentiment as Alabama slides in at No. 2 in both KenPom and NET. That is largely thanks to going undefeated outside of Quad 1 in addition to their seven Quad 1 wins. As a result, Alabama projects as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
For as good as the Crimson Tide have been on the court, tonight's game is marked by an off-the-court controversy. While star freshman Brandon Miller is playing tonight, it remains to be seen how much he'll be impacted by the recent headlines. Assuming he's good to go tonight, Miller provides the Crimson Tide with an incredible floor. The 6'9″ forward leads the team with 18.7 PPG and 8.0 RPG. Miller is a lights-out shooter who averages 3.0 threes per game while shooting 43% from deep. South Carolina doesn't have anyone who can match up with him one on one – setting Miller up for another big night.
Miller is hardly a one-man-show, however, as the Alabama offense is loaded from top to bottom. Junior Mark Sears ranks second on the team with 13.6 PPG thanks to his proficiency from beyond the arc. The Ohio transfer is a talented outside shooter who averages 2.1 made threes per game while shooting 40% from deep. After a disappointing 2-point outing in their loss to Tennessee, Sears bounced back with 17 points in their win over UGA. Look for him to keep that positive momentum rolling tonight.
Why South Carolina Could Cover The Spread
South Carolina hasn't found much success all season after starting 7-6 in non-conference play. Although they picked up a nice win over Clemson in November, they otherwise failed to capitalize on a weak non-conference slate. Things went from bad to worse once SEC play rolled around as the Gamecocks lost eight straight games to close out January. Despite winning two of their last three games, South Carolina still projects horribly within the advanced rankings. The Gamecocks sit at No. 225 in KenPom and No. 242 in NET. That is largely thanks to their struggles against top-flight completion as South Carolina holds a 2-10 record against Quad 1 and 2 opponents. As a result, the Gamecocks do not project to make the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina is led by freshman Gregory Jackson. The 6'9″ forward leads the team with 15.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG. Although he has been inconsistent, Jackson showed why he was such a heralded recruit in their most recent win over LSU. The freshman scored 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the win. That was the ninth 20-point game of the season for Jackson, however, he'll likely need to make tonight his tenth if South Carolina wants to cover.
The X-factor for USC tonight is junior guard Meechie Johnson. Johnson ranks second on the team with 12.8 PPG but is coming off a pair of big performances. Additionally, he's scored 19+ in three of his last five games.
Final Alabama-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
Given all the off-the-court issues surrounding the Alabama program, I don't think I'll be touching this one. In normal circumstances this would be a sure-fire Alabama cover but considering what's been reported, I'd consider this a slight lean toward the Crimson Tide.
Final Alabama-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: Alabama -17.5 (-102)
