The South Carolina Gamecocks have looked anything like a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament as they have rolled past three solid programs to make it to the Final Four. They have pulled upsets the past two games and will aim to make it three in a row with a win over the No. 4 seed Florida Gators.
Florida is a much stronger program on a year-to-year basis but the Gamecocks are playing really well of late. These teams are both from the SEC and split a pair of regular season contests.
Florida survived an overtime game against Wisconsin to make it to the Elite Eight and will now aim to pick up one more to make another run to the Final Four. The Gators could be slight favorites but South Carolina must be confident it can pull out this victory.
At 2:20 p.m. ET, tune into CBS for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, March 26, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
College Basketball Odds
South Carolina is 25-10 straight up and 15-18 against the spread. The Gamecocks have played in six neutral site games this season and have covered in four of them, including all three during March Madness. South Carolina has gone 5-4 attempting to cover the spread as the underdog on the season.
Florida is 27-8 straight up and 20-14 against the spread. The Gators have played in 11 neutral site games this season and covered in six of them. Florida is 20-9 against the spread as the favorite this season.
Last Time Out
Florida won a wild one over Wisconsin in the Sweet Sixteen. The Gators held a solid lead late in the game but blew it and had to go to overtime. Chris Chiozza then saved the day, hitting a running three-pointer to give the Badgers an 84-83 overtime victory.
Florida blew a 12-point lead in the final 4:15 of regulation but was able to hold on. Kevaughn Allen was the star, scoring 35 points on 11-of-24 from the field. If he has another big day it will be a big boost to the Gators’ hopes of making the Final Four.
South Carolina had no such drama to advance. The Gamecocks held Baylor to only 30.4 percent shooting in a 70-50 victory. South Carolina knocked off Marquette by 20 points in the opening round, upset No. 2 Duke by seven in the second round and then cruised over the third-seeded Bears.
Sindarius Thornwell led the way with 24 points and he will be the player to watch for South Carolina in this matchup.
Previous Meetings Meeting
South Carolina won the first meeting between these teams in the regular season, using its staunch defense to pull out a 57-53 victory. The Gamecocks shot just 29 percent from the court but Florida didn’t make a single three-pointer as South Carolina won an ugly one.
The Gators got their revenge in the rematch, shooting much better from the field and coasting to an 81-66 win. Allen had 26 points and the team hit its open shots from the floor and from downtown.
That was part of a stretch in which South Carolina lost six of its final nine regular season games, but the Gamecocks have completely turned it around in March Madness.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
These defenses are elite, and another slugfest will be expected. South Carolina has not batted an eye against tough competition thus far and should put up a good fight. Thornwell should have another good game, while Allen is expected to lead the Gators.
This one should be a great battle. Florida was the better team in the regular season but South Carolina is rolling in the postseason. The Gamecocks are likely to be the underdogs but they are playing at a high level and should be counted on to pull yet another upset to punch their unlikely ticket into the Final Four.
College Basketball Odds: South Carolina 63, Florida 60
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