We have a Saturday afternoon ranked showdown in the SEC as the No. 24 Florida Gators head up to Columbia to face the No. 18 South Carolina Gamecocks. Tipoff is set for noon ET and the game will air on ESPN.
Florida (20-8, 10-5 SEC) has won five of its last six contests and handled business against last-place Missouri in an 83-74 victory on Wednesday. The Gators never trailed in this one as they kept the Tigers at an arm’s length and pulled away in the back end of the second half. Tyrese Samuel offered a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
South Carolina (23-5, 11-4 SEC) has won two straight games heading into this showdown and last edged Texas A&M in a 70-68 win on Tuesday. This was a tight ballgame down the stretch and the Gamecocks were able to narrowly avoid the upset when Zachary Davis made the go-ahead layup with just two seconds left. He had 18 points while Meechie Johnson led the way with 22.
This is the only matchup between these two teams during the regular season and it poses to be an interesting clash in pace. Florida plays with the 30th fastest tempo in the nation per KenPom while South Carolina plays with the ninth slowest tempo in the entire country. The Gators are also one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country with a rate of 39.4%, so it will be crucial for the Gamecocks to prevent second-chance opportunities here.
What this game means for Florida
Florida has gotten better as conference play has progressed and is actually sitting on the periphery of the SEC regular season title race with just a few games to go. A Quad 1 road victory here would not only improve its chances of securing a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, but it would improve its NCAA Tournament resume at the same time.
What this game means for South Carolina
South Carolina is also right in the mix for the SEC regular season title as it sits one game behind Tennessee and Alabama for first place. Like the Gators, the Gamecocks would love to at least secure a double-bye straight into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament and while a loss here wouldn’t be the end of the world, it would make that goal more difficult.
Florida vs. South Carolina odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: South Carolina -1.5
Total: 145
Moneyline: South Carolina -130, Florida +110