South Carolina vs Tennessee Odds: Volunteers Big Favorites
Jury Still Out on 17-3 South Carolina
The South Carolina Gamecocks (17-3) visit the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (15-4) for an early start on Tuesday. The Gamecocks haven’t gotten a lot of respect this season. Despite the team’s 17-3 record, the team is just outside of the Associated Press Top 25 poll. While South Carolina has played a relatively soft schedule compared to the other SEC teams, you can’t argue with its 14-5-1 record against the NCAA basketball odds. That includes a 7-1 ATS record as an underdog, which will be the case here. The South Carolina vs Tennessee odds show the Volunteers are favored by 14 points and the total is at 136.5 points.
Gamecocks vs Volunteers 
Day/Time:
Location: Thompson Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Defense Keys South Carolina Resurgence
You don’t have to look hard to see why South Carolina is 17-3. The team’s defense is No. 3 in the SEC’s KenPom rankings 2023-24. The Gamecocks are allowing 64.4 points to teams averaging 75.1 points. South Carolina is 5-2 straight-up in the Southeast Conference and 5-2 against the spread.
For the season, the Gamecocks are 9-10 in totals and 6-1 ATS on the road. South Carolina has played well against good teams, going 11-3 ATS against teams with winning records.
South Carolina is No. 57 overall in the KenPom defensive efficiency ratings and allow teams to shoot 41.1% from the field. The Gamecocks are No. 24 in the nation in 2-point field goal percentage at 44.8%, although that number has climbed to 47.7% in conference games.
But South Carolina’s 3-point defense has improved in SEC games, where the Gamecocks hold teams to 30.8% shooting. The Gamecocks don’t force a lot of turnovers and are pretty average in boxing out and not allowing offensive rebounds.
South Carolina’s offense is pretty average from the field. The Gamecocks make 44.1% from the field, but are good on the offensive glass and don’t make a lot of turnovers.
South Carolina’s turnover rate has climbed to 18.8% since the start of conference play. The Gamecocks score 35% of their points from 3-point range, attempting an average of 24.8 per game and hitting 34.5% of them.
Volunteers Battling Tough Teams
Tennessee also has some pretty impressive stats. But the Volunteers have accumulated their numbers against the sixth-toughest schedule in the country. South Carolina has played the 129th-toughest schedule. The Volunteers are a bit of a “name team,” so are overpriced at times.
Tennessee is just 8-11 against the point spread and 10-8-1 in totals. The Vols are 10-0 straight-up and 6-4 ATS at home and 3-3 against the spread in conference NCAAB games.
Tennessee is averaging 79.5 points per game and shooting 45% from the field. The Volunteers hit the offensive boards well and aren’t too bad taking care of the basketball.
Those both help, as Tennessee isn’t a great NCAAB team from the field. The Volunteers are shooting better since SEC play began and are No. 1 in 2-point field goals in the conference. Tennessee is hitting 34.6% of its 3-pointers in the SEC.
Defensively, the Volunteers are tough, ranking No. 2 in the conference. Tennessee holds teams to 43% on 2-point attempts in the SEC and 31.6% on 3-pointers. The Volunteers have done a solid job forcing turnovers and aren’t allowing many offensive rebounds.
What to Expect
South Carolina is going to come out and try to slow things down. The Gamecocks are No. 348 in the nation in adjusted pace ratings and No. 14 in the SEC. South Carolina will pass the ball around until it gets a decent shot, frequently a 3-point attempt.
The Volunteers are a little more traditional in terms of pace, preferring to play quicker. Tennessee is No. 104 in adjusted tempo ratings. The Vols would be higher, but teams are taking 18 seconds per possession. Tennessee also takes a fair number of 3-point attempts.
Who to Bet On?
The South Carolina vs Tennessee odds of Tennessee -14 are definitely on the higher side. South Carolina has only lost by more than five points once all NCAAB season. But that was a 27-point loss to Alabama. Tennessee won both games last season by 40 points, so the potential for a blowout is there. But it’s also a huge revenge spot for the Gamecocks.
The South Carolina vs Tennessee odds on the total are roughly what you would expect. Whichever team is able to dictate the pace will have an impact on the over/under. If South Carolina can slow things down and turn it into a half-court game, that favors the under. But if the Vols can get the game moving a little bit, that’s going to help the over.
This is one of those games where it’s a little bit easier to make a case for the under. You have the No. 2 and No. 3 defenses squaring off, so there should be some defensive stops. Take the under 136.5 for one of your NCAAB picks for Tuesday.
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