The Missouri Tigers (9-16) will have their chance to bring down the Southeastern’s best team when they face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks (21-4) at Mizzou Arena. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Tigers come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, defeating Tennessee 75-64 on Saturday. Ryan Rosburg was the team’s high scorer with 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 89-62 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. Michael Carrera scored 25 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his seventh double-double of the season.
Carrera has upped his play over the last five games for the Gamecocks, averaging 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Gamecocks winning the first matchup 81-72. Wes Clark was a top player in the game with 26 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and four three-pointers.
The Tigers come into this game 9-16 Straight Up (SU) and 13-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tigers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 73.2 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 67.8 points per game.
Across the court, South Carolina has a SU record of 21-4 and an ATS record of 16-6. Offensively, the Gamecocks have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 77.4 points per game after averaging only 64.9 during that stretch. South Carolina is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, making 20.0 shots from the line per game. The Gamecocks have controlled the glass with an average of 41.6 rebounds per game, ninth in the country. The Gamecocks average 69.6 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 77.1 points per game during that span. The South Carolina defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .397 shooting from the field to its opponents.
With the Gamecocks’ last win against Missouri, they evened up the head-to-head record over their most recent meetings, 3-3 SU. They are even ATS at 3-3 in their most recent meetings as well. Neither team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers over the course of their latest five contests.
Predictions: SU Winner – SC, ATS Winner – SC
Notes
South Carolina averages 77.4 points per game (ranked 73rd). Missouri, on the other hand, allows 71.2 points per game (ranked 137th).
South Carolina scores just 68.4 points per away game (ranked 159th). Missouri ranks 100th in points allowed at home, giving up 66.8 points.
The South Carolina Gamecocks have a defensive rating of 96.7 (ranked 45th), while the Missouri Tigers have an offensive rating of 99.7 (ranked 285th).
The Missouri Tigers average a field goal percentage of 42.0% this season. The South Carolina Gamecocks have a superb 8-2 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.0% or greater.
The Missouri Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Missouri is 305th and 277th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while South Carolina ranks 249th and 216th in these categories.
South Carolina, the 56th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.6 per game. Missouri does worse, ranked 255th with 2.8.
Missouri ranks 269th in offensive rebounds, while South Carolina ranks 62nd in defensive rebounds.
On average, Missouri makes 5.8 steals per game. South Carolina has an outstanding 14-4 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
