The Ole Miss Rebels take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Our SEC Tournament odds series has our Ole Miss South Carolina prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Ole Miss South Carolina.
The Ole Miss Rebels are limping to the end of a brutal season. The Kermit Davis era in Oxford didn't get off the ground after a 2019 NCAA Tournament appearance. However, optimism could soon return to the program.
ClutchPoints picked up on reports from Stadium's Jeff Goodman and ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello earlier on Wednesday that Chris Beard is the front-runner for the job. He could be moving toward a deal.
From ClutchPoints writer Jack Tien-Dana:
“'Former Texas coach Chris Beard has emerged as the top candidate for the Ole Miss basketball job,' ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweeted. ‘The sides have spoken and Ole Miss is in the process of doing due diligence on Beard.'”
“Although Beard and Ole Miss haven’t reached any official agreement, ‘it’s trending in the direction of Beard being the next head coach in Oxford,' Goodman corroborated.”
That forms a very interesting backdrop to this SEC Tournament first-round game: Does it give Ole Miss and its players a spark, or does it lead to a game in which the Ole Miss players realize they are going to hit the transfer portal and they pack it in? We'll tackle that betting question below:
Here are the Ole Miss-South Carolina SEC Tournament odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
SEC Tournament Odds: Ole Miss-South Carolina Odds
Ole Miss Rebels: -6.5 (-102)
South Carolina Gamecocks: +6.5 (-120)
Over: 134.5 (-110)
Under: 134.5 (-110)
How To Watch Ole Miss vs. South Carolina
TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Ole Miss-South Carolina LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Ole Miss Could Cover The Spread
The Rebels are in a very interesting situation, as shown above. It could easily be the case that the Rebels will realize Chris Beard is coming to Oxford (not yet official, but they might obviously think it's going to happen) and play enthusiastic basketball as a result. Even if some players realize they will be asked to transfer out of the program, that might help them give it their all in what will be a last ride with their current coaching staff. Loyalty and respect will carry Ole Miss through this game. The Rebels lost to South Carolina earlier this season and will want to gain a measure of revenge. South Carolina is one of the worst teams in the SEC (not just Ole Miss), so the Rebels can realistically think they have a matchup advantage here.
Why South Carolina Could Cover The Spread
The best reason to pick South Carolina is that Ole Miss's players, realizing Chris Beard might be coming to Oxford, will put two and two together and realize they are about to be shown the door. This is not that complicated. Chris Beard is going to make a lot of additions through the transfer portal, and that means the current roster of Ole Miss players will be shaken up. A lot of guys will leave — some will be asked, while others will naturally want to start over with a coach they're comfortable with. This could lead to a very disinterested performance against South Carolina, a team which already defeated Ole Miss and can certainly do so again.
Final Ole Miss-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
Ole Miss is in such a unique situation that you probably should stay away from this game. If you do insist on a pick, lean to South Carolina with those six and a half points.
Final Ole Miss-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: South Carolina +6.5
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