Tennessee can clinch a share of the SEC regular-season championship if they can beat South Carolina on Wednesday. The Volunteers have a one-game lead over South Carolina and Alabama. If South Carolina wins and Alabama beats the Florida Gators on Tuesday night, it will be a three-way tie for the SEC regular season title heading into the final games on Saturday. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with a Tennessee-South Carolina prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Tennessee has won eight of the last ten games against the Gamecocks, but this year's loss may cost them the SEC regular season title. The Volunteers were 14-point favorites at home against South Carolina but took the loss. Tennessee has bounced back from that loss, winning eight of their next nine games to sit in first in the conference. They have a chance to take matters into their own hands for the second time in a week, as they defeated Alabama on Saturday to put them a game back. A win over South Carolina, the team tied with Alabama for second, will at least guarantee a share of the title.
South Carolina is on a three-game winning streak, securing victories over Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and then-No.24 Florida. The Gamecocks climbed the SEC standings by winning ten of their past 12 games, putting them into contention for their first conference regular-season title since 1997-98. South Carolina shut down the Tennessee offense in the team's first matchup this season, taking a 63-59 victory on the road.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Tennessee-South Carolina Odds
Tennessee: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -225
South Carolina: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +184
Over: 140 (-110)
Under: 140 (-110)
How to Watch Tennessee vs. South Carolina
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Tennessee Will Cover The Spread/Win
It was a rare off-night for the Tennessee offense when they played against South Carolina for the first time. Tennessee also owns a good defense, allowing just 67.4 points per game. They held South Carolina to 63 points, which should have been enough to win, but their offense only chipped in 59 points. It's a safe bet that Tennessee won't be held to 59 points again, which means another solid defensive effort by the Volunteers may swing this decision in their favor.
South Carolina's offense doesn't have the firepower to keep up with Tennessee. They rank 236th in the country, averaging just 72.1 points per game. Despite sitting in second place, the Gamecocks' points per game drop to 69.3 in-conference.
Why South Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
The South Carolina defense shut down Tennessee's 38th-ranked offense on the road, which hasn't been easy this year. The Gamecocks held Tennessee to 59 points, their lowest total of the season. South Carolina's defense allows 65.6 points per game, so their shutdown of Tennessee isn't surprising, but the fact that it was on the road is the most surprising thing. It seemed like the Gamecocks' game plan was not to shut down Tennesee's leading scorer but to shut down everyone else. They allowed Dalton Knecht to get his 31 points, but no other player scored more than ten.
Final Tennessee-South Carolina Prediction & Pick
This game will be a low-scoring rock fight down to the wire. The under is a good bet, as the odds need to account for Tennesee's offense, but South Carolina's defense has shown an ability to stop them. A low-scoring game will also help the underdog cover here, as we can fully expect to see a game that resembles their first meeting of the season.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Tennessee-South Carolina Prediction & Pick: South Carolina +5.5 (-110) & Under 140 (-110)
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