It is an SEC battle on Wednesday night as South Carolina faces Vanderbilt. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a South Carolina-Vanderbilt prediction and pick.
South Carolina comes into the game at 10-6 on the year, but 0-3 in conference play. They opened up the year at 3-3, with losses to North Florida, Indiana, and Xavier. They would then win seven straight games. Still, they have lost three in a row since the start of SEC play. They lost to Mississippi State and Alabama before facing Auburn last time out. It was a tight game, and with 5:18 left in the game South Carolina led the game 63-62. They would not score again though, falling 66-63 to Auburn.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is 13-3 on the year, and 1-2 in conference play. They opened the year 6-0, before falling 81-70 to Drake. They would then win seven more straight, including a win over LSU. They would then fall to Mississippi State before facing Missouri in their last game. Vanderbilt was down just one with just over five minutes in the game, but Missouri would win the game 75-66.
South Carolina and Vanderbilt have faced 64 times before. The series is tied at 32 wins each.
Here are the South Carolina-Vanderbilt College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: South Carolina-Vanderbilt Odds
South Carolina: +7.5
Moneyline: +250
Vanderbilt: -7.5
Moneyline: -315
Over: 143.5 (-115)
Under: 143.5 (-105)
How to Watch South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt
Time: 6:00 PM ET/ 3:00 PM PT
TV: SEC Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why South Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
South Carolina is ranked 72nd in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 110th in offensive efficiency while sitting 54th in defensive efficiency. South Carolina is led by their defense this year. They are 70th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 89th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they do not allow many three-point attempts, sitting 17th in the nation in three-point attempts.
Collin Murray-Boyles leads the South Carolina offense this year, while also leading in points and rebounds this year. He is scoring 15.8 points per game this year while adding 9.1 rebounds per game this year. Further, he is adding 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this year. He is joined in the front court by Nick Pringle. Pringle is scoring 10.7 points per game but adds 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on the season.
In the backcourt, Jamarii Thomas leads the way. He is second on the team in scoring this year, with 12.3 points per game, while adding 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game this year. Meanwhile, Zachary Davis has been solid this year. He has 9.4 points per game while adding four rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game this season.
Why Vanderbilt Will Cover The Spread/Win
Vanderbilt is ranked 52nd in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They sit 44th in offensive efficiency while sitting 77th in defensive efficiency. Vanderbilt has been solid on offense this year. They are 20th in the nation in points per game, while sitting 56th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. They are also 29th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Jason Edwards leads the team in scoring this year. He is scoring 17.3 points per game while adding 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Meanwhile, AJ Hoggard joins Edwards in the backcourt. Hoggard is scoring 10.9 points per game while leading the team with 4.3 assists per game. He also has 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game this year. Rounding out the backcourt is Tyler Nickel. Nickel is scoring 10.2 points per game this year while adding 2.4 rebounds per game this year.
Meanwhile, Devin McGlockton leads the team in rebounds this year. He has 8.3 rebounds per game, with 10.9 points, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is joined in the frontcourt by Jaylen Carey. Carey is scoring 7.1 points per game this year while adding 5.7 rebounds per game this year.
Final South Carolina-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick
There are a few key factors that will decide this game. First is the Vanderbilt defense. While Vanderbilt has been better on offense, the defense has been solid as well. Vanderbilt is 61st in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 99th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Meanwhile, South Carolina has struggled some on offense, sitting 183rd in points per game, while sitting 182nd in effective field goal percentage. Further, turnovers will be making a difference in this game. Vanderbilt is 22nd in the nation in turnovers per game, and 14th in forcing turnovers. South Carolina is 120th in turnovers per game while sitting 322nd in forcing turnovers. Take Vanderbilt in this one.
Final South Carolina-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick: Vanderbilt -7.5 (-110)