NCAAB: #4 Tennessee vs #17 South Carolina Odds, and Picks (Mar 6)

• Tennessee continued to surge, picking up wins over Auburn and Alabama last week.
• South Carolina earned a ranked win over Florida, defeating them by a score of 82-76.
• These two teams last faced off on January 30, in a game that South Carolina won 63-59.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks away! Let’s look at this matchup between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks. They’ll be competing with a share of 1st place in the SEC on the line.

How to Watch

• ESPN2

Preview

Tennessee continues to dominate their opposition. They won back-to-back games against teams in the top-15, surging past Auburn and Alabama. The Volunteers have a lot to play for here. They are right on the border of moving up from a projected 2-seed to a 1-seed, and can also clinch the SEC regular season title with a win. Alternatively, getting swept by South Carolina would mean losing control of the 1st-place spot.

South Carolina got on back on track last week, picking up key wins over Texas A&M and Florida. They remain an anomaly with their 24-5 record and #47 NET ranking acting in stark contrast. For now, they project as a 5-6 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, making the Gamecocks a lock to make the field, but also a potential upset candidate. A season sweep of Tennessee would quiet those upset concerns.

Prediction

When these two teams last met five weeks ago, South Carolina pulled off a major upset on the road. They entered the game as 13.5-point underdogs but overcame the Volunteers nonetheless. They should have an even better chance at home, but Tennessee has also been red-hot as of late. I’ll take Tennessee here.

NCAAB Picks:

• Tennessee 78, South Carolina 72 (TENN -3.5)