NCAAB: #24 Florida vs #18 South Carolina Odds, and Picks (Mar 2)

• Florida improved to 9-2 over their last 11 games, after taking down Missouri 83-74.
• South Carolina picked up two straight road wins, defeating Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
• These two teams last faced off on January 25, 2023, in a game that Florida won 81-60.

Selection Sunday is just a few weeks away! Let’s look at this matchup between the Florida Gators and the South Carolina Gamecocks. These two teams are expected to make the tournament as 7-seeds or better.

How to Watch

• ESPN

Preview

Florida has charted a steady rise over the past two months, climbing from outside of the projected NCAA Tournament field to safely in as a 7-seed. The Gators could probably lose out and still make it at this point, but they will undoubtedly be looking to keep up their winning ways, especially with the SEC regular season title still up for grabs. Florida’s surging offense has been the key to their success, led by Walter Clayton Jr.

South Carolina continues to be one of the hardest teams to project. They picked up a pair of Quadrant 1 road wins against bubble hopefuls Ole Miss and Texas A&M last week, bouncing back from their brutal 40-point loss to Auburn. The Gamecocks have a record of 23-5, which in many cases would be deserving of a 1-seed, but their bad losses have resulted in sub-45 metrics. They currently project in the 5-7 seed range.

Prediction

This should be another excellent clash between two NCAA Tournament-bound SEC teams. I’m still not sure what to think about South Carolina. Their performance against Auburn told a completely different story than their impressive road wins. On the other hand, Florida has been red-hot as of late. Ultimately, I see the Gamecocks struggling against another top SEC team in Florida. I’ll take the Gators to win on the road.

NCAAB Picks:

• Florida 78, South Carolina 74 (FLA +1.5)