Alabama Crimson Tide vs. South Carolina Gamecocks: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/22/2023

Time: 9 p.m. ET

Venue: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC

Where to watch: ESPN2

DraftKings: Alabama -17.5

FanDuel: Alabama -17.5

BetMGM: Alabama -17.5

Caesars: Alabama -17.5

No. 2 Alabama: 23-4 (13-1 SEC)

South Carolina: 10-17 (3-11 SEC)

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I don’t think the Alabama Crimson Tide are in fraud status, but we’re in a real interesting spot in the top of the rankings. After losing to Tennessee last week, the Tide have fallen out of the No. 1 spot to a whopping No. 2. And now they’ll look to keep things rolling after their first SEC loss of the season when they face the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday in Columbia.

 

The Crimson Tide was bound to lose at some point in conference play, and it just so happened it’d be against a Tennessee team that has no idea what kind of team it wants to be this season. And then a pissed off Alabama team responded with a dominant 108-59 win over Georgia on Saturday. Yes, do the math, Alabama nearly won by 50 against an inferior Georgia team, but that’s how mad I’d be too if my group lost to Tennessee when they have no idea what to do with their lives.

 

Brandon Miller had 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting and four made 3-pointers, and Mark Sears had 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting while drilling five 3-pointers, as Alabama shot 62 percent and went 16 of 34 from 3-point range. Dominance from Alabama once again is the theme of the year and doing it against a team that they should absolutely destroy is a good look. Especially when Nick Pringle gives you 19 points and 12 rebounds in 21 minutes.

 

“I think our guys respond well after losses,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “I hope we don’t have any more that we have to respond like that.”

 

Considering the fact that they’ve only lost four times this year, I’d say the response has been good. Alabama has a one-game lead on the top spot in the SEC standings ahead of the surging Texas A&M Aggies. How the latter plays on Tuesday in a big game over Tennessee will be telling, but Alabama should be able to handle business going forward and finish the job.

 

“It was good just to see the ball fall through the net, and the defense was really there in the first half,” Sears said. “It gave us a spark.”

 

South Carolina is quite the opposite of figuring out how to handle business, but the Gamecocks have won two of three going into this home tilt, ironically with the wins over Ole Miss and LSU coming on the road. But that’s the funny part of the dropoff that has taken place in the bottom half of the SEC.

 

In the 82-73 win over the Tigers on Saturday, Gregory Jackson II and Meechie Johnson each had 20 points, and South Carolina shot 46 percent from the floor and 15 of 32 from 3-point range to pull away in the second half and improve to a whopping 10-17 (3-11 SEC) on the season.

 

Jacobi Wright had 18 points, while Hayden Brown had 16 points to go with seven rebounds to push LSU to an unreal 1-13 in conference play this year.

 

I don’t think we need to think too hard about this one. You know Alabama is going to walk over this poor group and send everyone home all sad and depressed. Alabama 90, South Carolina 65

Alabama is 11-3 ATS in conference play this season.

Alabama is 0-6 ATS after a game where they hit at least 55% of shots the last 3 seasons.

South Carolina is 8-11 ATS as a home underdog the last 3 seasons.

PG: Mark Sears

SG: Jaden Bradley

SF: Brandon Miller

PF: Noah Clowney

C: Charles Bediako

PG: Meechie Johnson Jr.

SG: Jacobi Wright

SF: Chico Carter Jr.

PF: Hayden Brown

C: G.G. Jackson