Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – January 18, 2017

Florida Gators vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Preview

Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia

When: Wednesday, January 18, 6:30 PM ET

Line: Florida Gators (+2) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (-2); total: 135.5 – view all NCAAB lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

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Betting on the Florida Gators (14-3, 5-0 SEC)

Point Spread: +2

The Gators are set to meet their toughest assignment yet in conference play. Currently on a seven-game win streak that includes five straight to open their SEC campaign, the Gators will pay Columbia a visit to take on No. 24 South Carolina.

Florida, which is coming off a hard-earned 80-76 overtime victory over Georgia at home last Saturday, is about to see whether its recent success on offense would carry over against South Carolina’s stout defense. The Gators are averaging 79.0 PPG and they’re achieving that number efficiently. Florida has a 51.7 effective field goal percentage and is ranked 21st in KenPom.com in adjusted offensive efficiency.

The Gators shot just 40.0% from the field against Georgia but they played aggressive, going 27-for-35 from the foul line. They also drilled nine threes off 23 attempts—four more than their average attempts from beyond the arc.

Canyon Barry, who is second on the team in scoring with 12.8 PPG, scattered 27 points in the Georgia game. KeVaughn Allen paces the team this season with 13.9 PPG.

Florida, which allows 67.1 PPG, is 2-0 SU and ATS in its last two road games.

Betting on the South Carolina Gamecocks (4-3, 4-0 SEC)

Point Spread: -2

Like the Gators, South Carolina is still undefeated in SEC play and the Gamecocks intend to stay that way, as they host Florida later tonight. The Gamecocks are 9-1 SU in their last 10 as the home team.

South Carolina is also looking to extend their win streak to five games after taking down its last four opponents. Its latest victim was OIe Miss, which absorbed a 67-56 setback at the hands of the Gamecocks on Saturday. The Rebels shot miserably against South Carolina, which ranks among the best in the nation defensively. Ole Miss almost built itself a new campus with all the bricks it made in that game, going 17-for-55 from the field.

That’s the kind of defense South Carolina is looking to choke Florida with in tonight’s contest. The Gamecocks are allowing just 59.8 PPG thus far this season. They’re just averaging 4.5 blocks per game but somehow finds other ways to intimidate opponents from scoring easy baskets, as evidenced by the fact that Gamecocks opponents shoot just 45.9% at the rim—second lowest per hoop-math.com.

In addition, they’re rank atop KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

On offense, the Gamecocks hope that Chris Silva’s 16-point, 11-rebound performance against Ole Miss was a sign of better things to come from the sophomore forward. Silva is averaging 9.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the Gamecocks, who put up 71.7 PPG.

Writer’s Prediction

South Carolina (-2) wins, 64-61.

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