Auburn vs South Carolina Predictions, Picks, and Odds: Underdogs Fight in SEC Clash

The No. 4 seeded Auburn Tigers face the No. 5 South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament bracket on Thursday afternoon. The Tigers are a national title contender with the seventh-best March Madness odds to win the championship, but they shouldn’t overlook the Gamecocks who are having one of the best seasons in program history. 

Conference tournament odds have the Tigers installed as 7.5-point favorites with the Over/Under at 142.5. Here are my best free college basketball picks and predictions for South Carolina vs. Auburn on March 15.

Auburn vs South Carolina best odds

Auburn vs South Carolina picks and predictions

These teams faced off just once during the regular season, with the South Carolina Gamecocks getting blown out 101-61 on the road on February 14. That was a rare black mark in a South Carolina season that has been sensational. The Gamecocks are coming off an 80-66 win against Arkansas last night which gave them 26 wins on the season — tying the school record. What was especially impressive about their 14-point victory versus the Razorbacks was that they went just 3-15 from long distance and had an off night from leading scorer Meechie Johnson (14.4 ppg, 3.0 apg), who put up just six points with one assist.

The Gamecocks finished the regular season tied for the second-best record in the conference but settled for the No. 5 seed due to tie-breakers. Auburn had an identical 13-5 record in conference play and is one of just four teams in the country that ranks in the Top 15 in both adjusted offensive efficiency (11th) and adjusted defensive efficiency (sixth) per KenPom. 

That said, I don't see the Tigers blowing out the Gamecocks again. Keep in mind that the previous meeting took place at Neville Arena, where the Tigers have been dominant, but they've been more vulnerable away from home. They also knocked down a sizzling 60% of their 3-pointers in that contest, and while they are a decent outside shooting team (35.1 3PT% on the season), that's still a major outlier.

The strength of this Auburn team is inside, where Johni Broome (16.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg) and Jaylin Williams (12.9 ppg, 57.7 FG%) have excelled. However, the Gamecocks have the size to compete in the paint with 270-pound center B.J. Mack (13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and 6-foot-7, 231-pound forward Collin Murray-Boyles (16.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg over the last 10 games).

The Tigers like to push the pace but the Gamecocks have shown the ability to slow down up-tempo attacks like Kentucky, Alabama, and Arkansas. This is a Gamecocks squad that is 354th in the country in adjusted tempo, and that combined with their solid defense (35th with an opponent eFG% of 47.4%) should help them keep things close. Back South Carolina in a revenge spot here. 

My best bet: South Carolina +7.5 (-110 at bet365)

Auburn vs South Carolina same-game parlay

South Carolina +7.5

Under 142.5

Collin Murray-Boyles Over 14.5 points

+575 at DraftKings

I mentioned South Carolina's stout defense but Auburn's is even better. The Tigers have an opponent eFG% of just 44% — the second-lowest number in the country. While both of these teams defend at a high level, they don't force many turnovers while also taking care of the ball on offense.

With the extremely slow pace that the Gamecocks employ, I'm expecting both of these squads to take their time operating in half-court sets and working the ball through their big men in the post. That should result in a lower-scoring contest.

South Carolina recently got some great news when freshman Collin Murray-Boyles announced he'd return next season. Murray-Boyles began the season on the bench but has emerged as one of the Gamecocks best players down the stretch. Since the start of February he's averaging 16.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg on 70.3 FG%.

He dropped 19 points in that previous meeting against Auburn and led the way with 24 points last night. Given his uptick in production, his points total looks too low here. Taking the Over on his points along with the Under on the game total creates a nice multiplier for this SGP.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Auburn vs South Carolina spread and Over/Under analysis

This line hit the board on Thursday night with the Tigers installed as 7.5-point favorites with the Over/Under at 143. As of 10 a.m. ET the spread and the total have remained the same. 

The Tigers are fourth in the country in the KenPom ratings and have been extremely efficient on both ends of the floor.

Auburn began the season going 16-2 straight up and 12-5-1 against the spread but has looked more vulnerable down the stretch. The Tigers have gone 8-5 SU and 7-6 ATS in their last 13 games with four of those five defeats coming away from home.

South Carolina has been one of the biggest surprises in college hoops with the media picking them to finish dead-last in the conference before the season. The Gamecocks have gone 26-6 SU and an incredible 23-9 ATS. That said, they did get a bit fortunate in their conference slate, having to face Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama just once apiece.

Auburn vs South Carolina betting trend to know

The Gamecocks are 19-5 ATS in their last 24 games as an underdog going back to last season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Auburn vs. South Carolina.

Auburn vs South Carolina game info

Auburn vs South Carolina key injuries

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic