Gamecocks are Flying High – South Carolina at Florida
South Carolina Gamecocks (16-4 SU, 7-7-1 ATS) at Florida Gators (18-4 SU, 7-8 ATS)
BetUS NCAAB Betting Odds: FLORIDA -8.5, Total 151.5
Here are some of the NCAAB betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* SC has won and covered four of its last five games
* SC has played five of its last six games OVER the total * SC has covered four of its last five road games
* SC has lost 17 of its last 25 road games SU
* SC has played its last five road games OVER the total
* FLA has covered four of its last six games
* FLA has won 12 of its last 14 games SU
* FLA has won its last 16 home games SU
Also….
* SC has covered six of the last eight meetings
* FLA has won five of the last six meetings SU
* Seven of the last nine meetings have gone UNDER the total
* SC has covered the last five meetings as the road team
* FLA has won nine of the last ten meetings SU as the home team
* FLA has had the shooting edge in five of the last six meetings
* FLA has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings
* SC has made more three-pointers in six of the last seven meetings
You really can’t ignore what South Carolina has been doing lately. The Gamecocks have now won four games in a row, and on Saturday they were able to force Kentucky into 21 turnovers in a 78-77 win. Devan Downey and Zam Frederick combined for 47 points, and these two have been quite a dynamic duo during this short run.
Now there is a three-way tie for first place in the SEC East between Kentucky, South Carolina and Florida. Frederick was the hero the last time these teams met, only 13 days ago, when he made a layup at the buzzer to best the Gators by a 70-69 score. It was Downey who made the winning basket with three seconds left against Kentucky. These guys are learning how to win the close ones.
South Carolina’s backcourt, with the 5’9″ Downey and the 6-foot Frederick, is small for sure, especially when compared with the 6’6″ Nick Calathes (18 ppg) on the other side. The Gamecocks are getting some more contributions from Sam Muldrow, the 6’9″ forward who has been hitting the boards more and more since returning to the team on January 10. Muldrow had 12 rebounds against the Wildcats, and has increased his playing time more and more, having started the last four games. Then there is the not-so-secret weapon off the bench, the 6’7″ Evaldas Baniulis, the Florida Air Academy graduate who has hit 52% of his three-point shots.
Florida’s in revenge mode, and the Gators do manage to move the ball around better than their opponent (17.7 assist/game). But this young Florida team is not quite the stop unit that previous Gator teams were (allowing 43% FG’s), and they have had their problems on the infrequent occasions they have played capable opposition (losses to Syracuse, FSU, Tennessee – their three toughest foes). We’re okay in grabbing the points with South Carolina, the 8.5-point underdog in the BetUS Sportsbook online NCAAB sports betting odds.
