The Southeastern’s top team will be on the road when the No. 25 South Carolina Gamecocks (19-2) head to Stegeman Coliseum to challenge the Georgia Bulldogs (11-8). Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and can be seen on ESU and ES3.
The Bulldogs are hoping to rebound after their 83-73 loss to Baylor on Saturday. Despite the loss, J.J. Frazier earned his second double-double this season with 21 points and 11 assists. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, are coming off a 78-64 win against Alabama on Saturday. Michael Carrera claimed his fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Carrera has upped his play over the last five games for the Gamecocks, averaging 20.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers.
The attacking South Carolina offense may see plenty of chances from the free throw line in this one. It ranks first in the nation at getting to the stripe (FTA rate of 51.8), while Georgia gets whistled quite a bit (giving up a 324th-ranked FTA rate of 45.2).
The odds for Georgia and South Carolina are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 141 points. The Bulldogs have the same record (11-8) both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). Georgia’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Bulldogs allow a .385 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Bulldogs, ranking 27th in the country in blocks per game with 5.3.
As for their opponent, the Gamecocks have records of 14-4 ATS and 19-2 SU. The Gamecocks get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking eighth in the nation with 431 made (20.0 per game). The Gamecocks have controlled the glass with an average of 42.7 rebounds per game, fifth in the country. The South Carolina defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .384 shooting from the field to its opponents.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. South Carolina won the last game in the matchup, but the win was not enough to overtake Georgia in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Bulldogs also have the advantage ATS. Georgia held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, South Carolina never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – SC, ATS Winner – SC, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Georgia’s last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia’s last 5 games at home.
Georgia is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home.
Georgia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing South Carolina.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Georgia’s last 5 games when playing at home against South Carolina.
Georgia scores an average of just 70.8 points per game (ranked 235th). South Carolina ranks 93rd in points allowed, giving up 67.7 points per game.
Georgia scores just 71.7 points per home game (ranked 282nd). South Carolina ranks 76th in points allowed on the road, giving up 70.6 points.
South Carolina beats Georgia in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Gamecocks average 72.4 possessions and 1.080 points per possession, while the Bulldogs average 68.5 possessions with 1.034 points per possession.
The South Carolina Gamecocks average an effective field goal percentage of 48.7% this season. The Georgia Bulldogs have an underachieving record of 1-5 when opponents have an eFG% of 48.7% or greater.
The Georgia Bulldogs average 17.0 three point attempts per game, while the South Carolina Gamecocks attempt 17.0. When attempting 20 or more three pointers in a game, Georgia is 4-2 while South Carolina is undefeated (6-0).
The South Carolina Gamecocks average 42.7 rebounds per game and are ranked fifth. The Georgia Bulldogs average 37.6 rebounds per game, ranked 118th.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, South Carolina ranks eighth. Georgia ranks 66th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Georgia forces a turnover rate of 16.5%. When South Carolina turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a tremendous 14-2 record.
