South Carolina vs. Baylor Prediction
Will Baylor end South Carolina’s run tonight in the Sweet 16 when the two programs clash at 7:29PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Bears are 3.5-point favorites versus the Gamecocks while the over/under currently sits at 135 points, down from 136.5.
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South Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16 after crushing Marquette 93-73 as a 1-point favorite in the opening round and then pulling off a rather large upset of Duke as a 6.5-point dog in the second. The Gamecocks are now 5-5 over their last 10 games but are still only 3-7 at the betting window over that span.
Baylor routed New Mexico State 91-73 as an 11.5-point favorite in the opening round of the NCAA tournament and the held on to beat USC 82-78 while failing to cover as a 5.5-point favorite. (The Bears only failed to cover because USC made a meaningless bucket as the buzzer went off.) The Bears are now 6-4 over their last 10 games but just 4-6 against the spread during that span.
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OUR PREDICTION: The Gamecocks had a distinct advantage in the first two rounds while playing in their backyard of Greenville, S.C. With the East Region shifting to Madison Square Garden in New York tonight, South Carolina will no longer have that sort of advantage. The Gamecocks have an outstanding defense and were able to fluster Duke’s Grayson Allen, who had been becoming more comfortable in his point guard role. That said, he’s a player that needs to come off the ball and isn’t experienced enough to bring it up the court, especially against an intense defense like South Carolina’s. But the Gamecocks will face Baylor’s Manu Lecomte tonight, who had stretches of dominance against USC last weekend. The Bears are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine non-conference games while the Gameocks are 1-5 against the number in their last six games coming off a win. South Carolina’s dream run ends tonight.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: BAYLOR BEARS -3.5