The Kentucky Wildcats are not the steamroller we expected them to be. Kentucky has not looked too impressive thus far in SEC play. The Wildcats lost by double digits to Tennessee and have yet to beat anyone in conference by more than seven points.
Kentucky is going to be tested when it goes on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks this Tuesday. South Carolina no longer has Sindarius Thornwell, but Columbia is a formidable place to play.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 9 p.m. ET at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
Kentucky has not been a good team for bettors this season. The Wildcats are 2-3 ATS in conference play and have had a hard time getting past decent teams all year long. Under has been a particularly strong bet in SEC games as Kentucky’s offense has not had the success it did in non-conference play. The Wildcats have not scored more than 74 points in a conference game and that has led to the under posting a 4-1 record.
The Gamecocks have been a much better team at home than they have on the road. South Carolina has already lost five games away from home, but it has lost just once on its home court. This team has had a hard time covering the spread in recent weeks though. South Carolina has covered just two of its last seven games.
Under has been a great bet in South Carolina games all year long. It cashed in the first four and has cashed in five of the last six.
Player to Watch
Things haven’t gone as planned for freshman Kevin Knox. Knox was seen as a player who could make an instant impact as soon as he arrived on campus, but has had some trouble adjusting to the college game.
Most importantly, Knox’s shot just hasn’t been there. He has struggled to find consistency with his shooting, and that’s something that shouldn’t happen with his height and skill set.
Knox is hitting just 44.6 percent of his field goals this season and is firing away from downtown way too often. He is 6’9, but averaging more than four three-point attempts per game. That’s not a good sign when he is hitting less than 32 percent of those shots.
He needs to use his size more. Knox is at his best in the low post, but hangs out on the perimeter way too much.
Matchup to Watch
The Gamecocks rode their defense to a Final Four appearance last season. Frank Martin’s teams have always been good at playing tough, physical defense. That has been the case again this season, and the Wildcats may have a hard time scoring if they refuse to attack the rim.
South Carolina will need its defense to come up big, because its offense has been abysmal. This team has been unable to consistently put the ball in the basket without Thornwell. The Gamecocks are one of the worst shooting teams in the country, hitting just 41 percent of their field goals on the season.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Look for this to be a low scoring game. Both teams have relied on their defenses of late, and each side will do so again here. Subsequently, the under will be a great bet.
As for a side, the winner of the rebounding battle will determine the winner of this game. I’m going to give the edge to South Carolina in that department, and that will spur a narrow Gamecocks win over Kentucky.
College Basketball Odds: South Carolina 67, Kentucky 64
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