#18 South Carolina Gamecocks Face Tough Test at Texas A&M
The #18 South Carolina Gamecocks (22-5, 10-4 SEC) take on the Texas A&M Aggies (15-12, 6-8 SEC) in an SEC battle on February 28th at 8:30 PM Eastern. The Gamecocks are positioned for a solid NCAA tournament run while the Aggies are fighting desperately to stay on the bubble and a long shot to make the dance.
Key Matchup: Battle of the Boards
Texas A&M holds a significant rebounding advantage, ranking third nationally with 39.4 boards per game. Conversely, South Carolina ranks 178th (32.2 rebounds per game), putting them at a potential disadvantage.
Tale of the Tape
South Carolina boasts a superior record, sitting in third place in the SEC. However, Texas A&M will have home-court advantage, where they hold a 9-4 record. South Carolina’s strong 7-2 record against the spread on the road as well as their 10-2 record ATS as underdogs, adds another layer of intrigue to the matchup.
The Model’s Prediction
Despite South Carolina’s success against common opponents, the predictive models favor Texas A&M. The full-season model predicts a 72-63 Aggies victory, and a model run using the last seven games forecasts a narrower 71-68 Texas A&M win.
Can South Carolina Overcome the Odds?
This game presents a true test for South Carolina. Can they overcome the Aggies’ rebounding prowess and secure a crucial road win? Or will Texas A&M pull off the upset and keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive?
Our Pick – South Carolina +4.5