Arkansas striker Justin Smith (0) sinks against Alabama during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Wednesday, February 24, 2021. (AP Photo / Michael Woods)
- The Arkansas Razorbacks seek the seventh consecutive time when they visit difficult South Carolina on Tuesday
- Razorbacks are about to take second place in the conference standings with a win
- We cover all odds and trends before Tuesday night’s showdown at Colonial Life Arena
The Arkansas Razorbacks will seek to maintain the torrid pace that took them to 12th place in the AP Top 25 when they visited South Carolina’s tough Gamecocks on Tuesday as a 7.5-point favorite.
Razorbacks fueled their quantum leap in the national ranking by winning and covering each of the last six matches, while Gamecocks seek to record consecutive wins for the first time in two months.
Here’s a look at all the odds and trends ahead of this SEC conference match, scheduled for 6:30 pm ET on Tuesday night at Colonial Life Arena.
Arkansas Razorbacks vs South Carolina Gamecocks Odds
| Team | To spread | Money line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Razorbacks | -7.5 (-110) | -340 | O 155 (-110) |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | +7.5 (-110) | +275 | U 155 (-110) |
* Probabilities obtained in FanDuel on 03/01/2021.
Razorbacks throwing their best ball
Razorbacks return to action after a sensational week that featured impressive victories over Alabama and LSU. The club marched to a decisive 81-66 victory over conference leader Crimson Tide as 2-point home chalk, and followed up with an 83-75 victory over LSU. With those victories, Arkansas is now about to secure second place in the conference standings and second place in the SEC tournament, with a victory over South Carolina on Tuesday.
Keep going up. Pigs in no. 12 for the first time since 1998. pic.twitter.com/BjeoxFBBOu
– HAWWWWWWWWWGS 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 1, 2021
Arkansas simply gets better with every passing game in conference games. Overall, the Razorbacks posted SU wins in nine out of 10 outs, covering the spread in eight of those competitions. Despite this continued success, they have struggled to dominate at times on the road. The Razorbacks had an 81-77 defeat on the roads to Oklahoma State in late January, before achieving narrow victories as lean underdogs on recent visits to Kentucky and No. 10 Missouri, which mark the team’s first consecutive victories in two years.
JUSTIN SMITH SHOWING 💥@RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/uTY4z9kd19
– NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) February 27, 2021
However, the Razorbacks have held their ground in two games this season as favorites on the road, winning decisive double-digit wins over Vanderbilt and Auburn. Arkansas has also received constant offensive contributions from the entire programming. At least four Razorbacks scored total double-digit points in each of the team’s last four competitions, with Justin Smith leading the charge. The great senior man averaged 16 points per game in the last four games and recorded twice as many points in each of the last two games.
Gamecocks aim to close the season with pride
While Razorbacks reach heights they haven’t seen in two decades, South Carolina enters the competition Tuesday night playing for pride. Gamecocks have recorded victories in just four of the conference’s 14 games this season. Two of those victories were against Georgia, crowned by Saturday’s 91-70 defeat of the terrible Bulldogs. With the victory, the Gamecocks broke a six-game losing streak, but there is very little for USC fans to be excited about entering the final week of the regular season.
#Gamecocks MBB closes his losing streak with a dominant 91-70 victory in Georgia today, his tenth consecutive victory against the Bulldogs! pic.twitter.com/yGzU3roLmJ
– GamecockCentral.com (@GamecockCentral) February 27, 2021
South Carolina has simply been terrible at home, losing entirely in five of the last six fights, with those defeats having an average margin of 12.8 points. Gamecocks have also withered over the last few dates with nationally ranked opponents, ranging from 1 to 5 this season, averaging just 73 points per game in these competitions.
AJ Lawson’s recent fall in production did not help much. The team’s top scorer has averaged just 10.5 points in their last two games, after adding 20 points in seven of their nine previous games. However, junior striker Keyshawn Bryant has taken the break in the meantime, averaging more than 15 points in his last four games.
AJ Lawson has regressed, he is not in any draft projections that I have seen recently. Keyshawn Bryant still looks like a better chance for the NBA than Lawson. The truth hurts and he is not playing well.
– Zack (@VzrZack) February 25, 2021
Gamecocks also have a streak of two consecutive wins against Razorbacks, with each of those wins coming as underdogs in betting. But with Arkansas now playing its best basketball of the season, and looking for the conference title, it’s hard to see South Carolina keeping pace on Tuesday night.
The choices: Razorbacks -7.5 (-110); MORE THAN 155 (-110)
Daniel Coyle
Sports writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The experienced professional has contributed to companies such as Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, Globe and Mail and The Nation magazine.