NCAAB: South Carolina vs #5 Tennessee Odds, and Picks (Jan 30)

• South Carolina went 2-0 last week, picking up a 17-point win over #6 Kentucky.
• Tennessee toppled Vanderbilt on Saturday, defeating them 75-62 on the road.
• These two teams last met on February 25, 2023, in a game Tennessee won 85-45.

The college basketball season is heating up! Let’s preview this week’s South Carolina vs Tennessee game. The Gamecocks are scorching hot, but still need to pick up another signature win to rise into the Top 25.

How to Watch

• SEC Network

Preview

South Carolina probably should have been ranked after last week’s results, but gets another chance here against Tennessee to prove themselves. They improved to 17-3 over the weekend, after storming past a highly ranked Kentucky team. The Gamecocks currently project as an 8-9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, so a few more Quadrant 1 wins would go a long way towards securing their first appearance since 2017.

Tennessee has now won 11 of their last 12 games after starting the year out 4-3. They’ve surged to the #5 spot in the top-25 and currently project as a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers are no stranger to regular season success, but will aim to build even more momentum leading into the SEC Tournament. Their next two games against red-hot South Carolina and top-10 Kentucky will be key tests.

Prediction

Despite South Carolina’s recent success, the metrics are still not totally sold on their ability. Their win over Kentucky was a great start, but the Gamecocks will still face a brutal test on the road against Tennessee. That being said, they are playing excellent basketball right now, and should be able to avoid a blowout. I’ll take the Volunteers to win this one, but I wouldn’t be confident betting on them to cover a 13-point spread.

NCAAB Picks:

• Tennessee 70, South Carolina 61 ()