Mississippi Rebels (15-10) vs South Carolina Gamecocks (6-14)
Game Info: Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 9:30 pm (Bridgestone Arena)
Betting Odds: Mississippi Rebels -6.5 -- Over/Under: 142 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The South Carolina Gamecocks and Ole Miss Rebels will square off at Bridgestone Arena in the 2nd round of the SEC Tournament this Thursday night.
The South Carolina Gamecocks finished their regular season with an overall record of 6-14 and earned the 11-seed in the SEC Tournament with a 4-12 conference record. South Carolina was led by their offense which comes into this matchup ranked 129th in scoring offense, however, the Gamecocks had trouble picking up victories behind a defense which currently ranks just 324th in scoring defense, 284th in defensive FG%, & t-240th in rebound margin. South Carolina had a decent start to their season with a decent win against Tulsa and a competitive loss at Houston, however, the Gamecocks struggled late in the season, losing 8 of their last 9 games.
On the season, South Carolina is averaging 73.2 ppg on 41.8% shooting from the field. The Gamecocks are averaging 7.0 three-pointers per game on 30.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, South Carolina has been led by AJ Lawson (16.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.5 spg), Keyshawn Bryant (14.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 spg), Jermaine Couisnard (10.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.3 spg), & Justin Minaya (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 apg).
Defensively, South Carolina is allowing their opponents to average 79.3 ppg on 46.2% shooting from the field. The Gamecocks have a rebound margin of -1.6 and a turnover margin of 1.6.
The Ole Miss Rebels finished their regular season with an overall record of 15-10 and earned the 6-seed in the SEC Tournament after finishing conference play with a 10-8 record. Old Miss struggled at times on the offensive end this season as they come into this matchup ranked just 244th in scoring offense & 325th in three-pointers made per game, however, the Rebels were able to pick up some solid victories this season behind a defense that currently ranks 24th in scoring defense, 53rd in rebound margin, & 48th in steals per game. Ole Miss struggled a bit at the beginning of conference play, however, the Rebels have played better during the 2nd half of their season as Ole Miss has won 7 of their last 9 games with wins against Tennessee & Missouri (twice).
On the season, Ole Miss is averaging 68.7 ppg on 44.2% shooting from the field. The Rebels are averaging 5.2 three-pointers per game on 29.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Ole Miss has been led by Devontae Shuler (15.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.5 spg), Romello White (11.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.2 bpg), Jarkel Joiner (10.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 spg), & KJ Buffen (8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg).
Defensively, Ole Miss is holding their opponents to an average of 63.1 ppg on 42.2% shooting from the field. The Rebels have a rebound margin of 4.4 and a turnover margin of 2.0.
The Gamecocks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss and 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Rebels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record and 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.
South Carolina has a great player in AJ Lawson, however, it is hard to trust this South Carolina team who has allowed 92+ points in 4 of their last 6 games. Ole Miss has a great defense that I think will be able to keep the South Carolina offense in check and as I think the Rebels will be able to score against this Gamecocks defense, I am taking Ole Miss to cover this spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Ole Miss Rebels -6.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05