A battle amongst the Southeastern Conference will be underway this weekend as the LSU Tigers clash with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Join us for our College Basketball odds series where our LSU-South Carolina prediction and pick will be revealed.
After suffering a third-straight defeat in bitter fashion, LSU will attempt to get back on the saddle with their March Madness hopes continuing to fade away. Regardless, the Tigers need a victory in the most desperate way possible. With a dead-even record of 12-12 including a 4-7 mark in conference play, can LSU find themselves back in the win column for the first time in over several weeks?
Sitting just outside the AP top ten, the South Carolina Gamecocks have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, this didn't happen to be the case whatsoever when the Auburn Tigers defended their home court by steamrolling the Gamecocks by an eyebrow-raising score of 101-61. Despite the 40-point loss which ultimately was a tough pill to swallow, South Carolina still enters the weekend with a 21-4 record to go along with a 9-3 SEC mark.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: LSU-South Carolina Odds
LSU: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +220
South Carolina: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -275
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How to Watch LSU vs. South Carolina
Time: 3:30 ET/12:30PT
TV: SEC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why LSU Will Cover The Spread/Win
For starters, it would be a good place to start if the Tigers were able to flex their muscles on the defensive end of the floor. All year long, one of the main struggles that LSU has dealt with has been in the form of a defense that has been far too soft in every aspect of the word. Then again, it was LSU that showed some sort of backbone in terms of defending the perimeter. Even though the Tigers lost in Gainesville, they managed to hold the Gators to only 23.5% shooting from three-point range. Obviously, this is a recipe for success and a repeated effort in this category on the hardwood could be a major difference-maker.
Meanwhile, it also wouldn't hurt LSU's chances to cover the spread if they were able to stay out of foul trouble and win the rebounding battle. Oftentimes, the Tigers play a physical brand of basketball that sometimes results in the opposition receiving many trips to the charity stripe. All in all, LSU can't afford to be on the short end of the whistle. In addition, getting out-rebounded will also be a big no-no.
Regardless of what happens on Saturday, at least the Tigers can find some solace with an offense that can be explosive at any given time. At the moment, LSU is averaging 77.8 points per game and are more than capable of getting hot in swift fashion. It will be important to keep your eyes peeled on names like Jordan Wright and Jalen Cook if the Tigers want any chance in this one.
Why South Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
On the other side of things, South Carolina may be entering this contest with the most focus and energy that they have had all season long after getting blasted last time they suited up for action.
Not only did the flabbergasting defeat snap a six-game winning streak, but it was the Gamecocks that could not hit a shot to save their lives. In fact, South Carolina wouldn't have hit the broad side of a barn the way they were shooting against Auburn. At the end of the day, the Gamecocks tallied a measly 34% shooting percentage from the floor and only shot 20% from way downtown.
Indeed, the one thing that surprised college basketball fans alike was how easily South Carolina's top defense in the conference was shredded by Auburn. Overall, the Gamecocks surrender only 65.4 points per game but allowed the Tigers to shoot a whopping 61% from the floor on the night. Simply put, an increase in focus and intensity on that end of the court will be Ana absolute must for South Carolina's chances to cover.
It would also be beneficial if South Carolina lowered the pace of this one exponentially. Without a doubt, the Gamecocks excel when they are dictating the flow of the game and avoiding turnovers that give opposing team's opportunities to pick up points on the fast break. Above all else, staying patient offensively and waiting for good looks to open up needs to be the name of the game.
Final LSU-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
It is hard to fathom that South Carolina will be as bad as they were a few short days ago. Not to mention, but LSU is officially in a a downward spiral, and the chances are low that they'll be able to storm into Colonial Life Arena and overcome a pissed-off South Carolina squad.
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Final LSU-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: South Carolina -6.5 (-110)
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