South Carolina vs. Tennessee Prediction: Can Dalton Knecht, Volunteers Dominate Scoreboard Against Gamecocks?
The Tennessee Volunteers are set to host the South Carolina Gamecocks in the early slate on Tuesday evening. Can Dalton Knecht and the Vols create a one-sided affair on the scoreboard? Ben Rajavuori targets their team total in his best bet for South Carolina vs. Tennessee.
Ben Rajavuori - January 30, 2024, 5:20 PM EST
5 minSouth Carolina vs. Tennessee Prediction: Can Dalton Knecht, Volunteers Dominate Scoreboard Against Gamecocks?
The Tennessee Volunteers host the South Carolina Gamecocks tonight from Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee enters this game off four wins in a row, most recently defeating Vanderbilt on the road on Saturday 75–62. South Carolina is also coming into this game hot, as they have won three games in a row, most recently beating Missouri at home on Saturday 72–64. South Carolina are sizable underdogs in this game, catching 13.5 points on the road today.
SAN DIEGO STATE VS. COLORADO STATE DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: January 30, 2024
- Game Time: 6:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: SEC Network
South Carolina vs. Tennessee Prediction
This is arguably the most well-rounded team Rick Barnes has had in his time at Tennessee so far. While Tennessee has flaunted elite defense since Rick Barnes joined the team in 2015, their offense is looking explosive this season. Tennessee features two of the best defenders in the conference with Zakai Ziegler and Santiago Vescovi, but they finally have an excellent pure scorer in Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht. Knecht is leading the team with 19.5 points per game, and he is shooting 40% from three on the season. With Dalton joining the Volunteers, they have an elite offense to add to an elite defense that has lots of experience, and can make it deep in March. Tennessee is averaging 79.5 points per game, and their offense has been clicking since conference play started back on January 6. Tennessee has scored at least 85 points in their three conference game played at home. They have played 10 games at home this entire season, and their lowest point total was 74 against Georgia Southern back on December 12. They have topped 75 points in their other nine home games, and their team total tonight is 74.5.
I am more inclined to take Tennessee’s team total tonight than the total for the game, because South Carolina is an inconsistent offense that opts to play at a very slow tempo. They rank 341st in tempo on offense, and sometimes they can fall flat on the road. Therefore, I think it is smarter to take Tennessee’s team total, given that we have seen them play a very high level of offense this season, especially most recently at home. Tennessee ranks 47th in tempo on offense, averaging 16.1 seconds per possession. This is unlike past Tennessee teams we have seen, and it is clear that Rick Barnes is trying to put a bigger emphasis on their offense this year. I am backing Tennessee to hit 75 points at home again for the 10th time, and 11 home games this season.
South Carolina vs. Tennessee Pick
Pick: Tennessee Volunteers Team Total Over 74.5 (-115) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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