USC Upstate vs Gardner Webb Prediction 1/23/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The South Carolina Upstate Spartans and the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs meet Friday in college basketball action from Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs. This game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved up one day due to the incoming weather. Here’s a USC Upstate vs Gardner-Webb prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best USC Upstate vs Gardner-Webb pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

USC Upstate Spartans Betting Preview

USC Upstate started off the year on a rocky run, going just 4-5 over their first nine games out of the gate. The Spartans would win four of the next five games (with a lone loss to North Carolina), but then hit a 1-5 stretch in the next six. Those losses came versus Youngstown State, Radford, Presbyterian, Winthrop and High Point, giving USC Upstate a 9-11 run through their first 20 games of the year.

In the Wednesday matchup with UNC Asheville, the Spartans kicked off the game with a 36-30 deficit in the first half. USC Upstate didn’t end up getting any closer than that, getting outscored 47-39 the rest of the way during an 83-69 home loss. Mason Bendiger was the leading team scorer on 28 points, while Karmani Gregory added 16 points with two assists and one rebound.

Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs Betting Preview

Over on the Gardner-Webb side, they’ve had a rough go of things this year—to put it mildly. The Bulldogs opened the season on an 0-11 run before finally getting wins over Brevard and Toccoa Falls over the next three games. After that came losses to Tennessee, Charleston Southern, Winthrop, High Point, Radford and Presbyterian in the next six, giving the Bulldogs a 2-18 run through their first 20 outings.

Matched up against Longwood on Wednesday, Gardner-Webb was blasted in the first half 42-24 and things were looking grim. The Bulldogs took another rough half in the second on a 49-32 run and lost in a huge blowout on the road 91-56 by game’s end. Colin Hawkins topped the team on 14 points with two boards and DJ Jefferson added 10 points with two rebounds of his own.

USC Upstate Spartans @ Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs Betting Trends: January 24, 2026

Why the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs will win

• USC Upstate has lost 14 of its last 15 day games against the Big South Conference.
• Gardner-Webb has won each of its last four day games against USC Upstate.
• Gardner-Webb has won the first half in four of its last five day games against USC Upstate.

Why the USC Upstate Spartans will win

• Gardner-Webb has lost each of its last seven games against Conference opponents.

USC Upstate vs Gardner-Webb Prediction

I’ll lean toward USC Upstate but I’m staying away. The Spartans didn’t play great in their latest loss to UNC Asheville, getting out-rebounded 32-25, outscored in the paint 42-38 and giving up 51.8 percent shooting on the other side. USC Upstate shot a decent 44.3 percent from the field themselves alongside just eight turnovers, but also went just 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) at the line. That gives the Spartans six losses in the last seven games, and they’ve given up a combined 172 points over the last pair.

As for Gardner-Webb, they shot just 38.6 percent from the field with a 40-25 rebounding deficit, a 54-32 disadvantage on points in the paint and a whopping 21 turnovers in their latest loss to Longwood. The Bulldogs have seven straight losses now, with 88 or more points surrendered in all of them.

Andrew Jett's Pick: USC Upstate Spartans TBA