The South Carolina Gamecocks host the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 1:00 p.m. EST in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Gamecocks are listed as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 151.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
South Carolina vs. Mississippi State prediction, preview
Mississippi State is a one-man team. The Bulldogs are one of the worst teams in the SEC, but junior guard Josh Hubbard is one of the best players in the conference. He is also playing his best basketball of the season as of late. Over his last three games, he has scored 31 points, 32 points and 46 points. He is truly a one-man wrecking crew for the Bulldogs, and he has carried them to wins over Ole Miss and Auburn in their past two games. If Hubbard is at his best, they are a tough team to beat as of late.
South Carolina sits at the bottom of the SEC, with a dreadful 2-11 conference record. Its two wins came against two of the other bottom-dwellers in the conference, LSU and Oklahoma. It has been on a tough run of games, with three of its past four games coming on the road against Texas, Alabama and Florida. Senior guard Meechie Johnson is leading the way for the Gamecocks. He is not on the level of Josh Hubbard, but he is playing a similar role for the Gamecocks. He has led the Gamecocks in scoring in nine of his past 10 games.
South Carolina vs. Mississippi State pick
My best bet is on South Carolina to get the win and cover the short spread against Mississippi State. These are two of the worst teams in the conference, and the home-court advantage could be the difference in this one. The Gamecocks have been the worst team in the SEC on the road this season, with a 1-7 record away from home. However, they have been decent at home, with a 10-7 record at Colonial Life Arena. One massive factor in this game that could be the difference is free-throw shooting. In a game that should be very tight, the better free-throw shooting team often wins. The Gamecocks are the best free-throw shooting team in the SEC, with a 78.7% team free-throw percentage. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are the second-worst free-throw shooting team in the conference with a 68% free-throw percentage. In the final stretch of this game, the Gamecocks making free throws with their home crowd at their back should be the difference between a win and a loss.
