The Ole Miss Rebels (7-5) welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks (8-3) in a matchup that pits sensational offense against stifling defense. Ole Miss opened as a 2.5-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 149 points. Action begins at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and it can be seen on ESPN2.
South Carolina Gamecocks at Ole Miss Rebels Betting Preview
The last time the Gamecocks played, they had no trouble getting past the Limestone Saints, 74-45. Frank Booker was the games leading scorer with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting. South Carolina played a nearly perfect game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 34.9 (above their season average of 33.1) and a turnover percentage of 13.5 (better than their season average of 18.2). For those same stats, Limestone was 21.3 and 20.8, respectively.
The Rebels will look to maintain momentum after thoroughly outplaying the Bradley Braves in their last contest, 82-59. With 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting, Terence Davis was the top scorer from either team. Ole Miss played a nearly flawless game. They had a solid effective field goal percentage of 0.556 (above their season average of 0.537) and a turnover percentage of 19.7 (worse than their season average of 14.2). Bradley put up marks of 0.387 and 23.6, respectively, for those same stats.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the prolific offense of Ole Miss takes on the elite defense of South Carolina. The Rebels rank 60th in offensive efficiency, while the Gamecocks are 35th in defensive efficiency.
Of South Carolina’s 11 games, five have finished over the projected point total, while 5 of Ole Miss 11 games have finished over the O/U total. The Gamecocks hold a substantial advantage in terms of straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 8-3 SU and 5-5-1 ATS, while the Rebels are 7-5 SU and 3-8 ATS.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after splitting two games last season. In the most recent game, the Rebels won 75-70. The Rebels dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.365 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.538. The Gamecocks were 0.234 and 0.430, respectively, for those same stats.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Ole Miss Rebels Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – South Carolina, ATS Winner – South Carolina, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Gamecocks rank 122nd in rebounds per game (38.7) while the Rebels rank 196th in rebounds allowed per game (37.5).
- Ole Miss ranks 78th in steals per game (7.0) while South Carolina ranks 114th in steals allowed per game (8.3).
- Ole Miss is 3-5 ATS at home, while South Carolina is 3-3-1 ATS on the road.
- Of the Gamecocks 7 road games, they have 4 unders and 3 overs.
- The Rebels have 4 overs, 3 unders and 1 push in 8 home games.
- South Carolina ranks 14th in assists allowed per game (11.0) while Ole Miss ranks 212th (16.4).
- The Gamecocks rank 38th in three pointers allowed per game (20.2) while the Rebels rank 207th (24.4).
- Ole Miss ranks 14th in blocks allowed per game (2.2) while South Carolina ranks 121st (4.2).
Bettings Trends:
- Ole Miss is 2-2 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, South Carolina is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders.
- The Rebels average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, up from 5.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Gamecocks have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (0.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.2 points per game (0.3 below their season average).
