South Carolina Gamecocks vs Oklahoma Sooners NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/25
Looking to win big? The Gamecocks and Sooners face off at 4:00 ET on ESPNU. The Sooners are hosting the game at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, OK. The over/under for this game is set at 142.5 points, and Oklahoma is favored by -7.5 vs. South Carolina in a Southeastern conference matchup.
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS VS OKLAHOMA SOONERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Oklahoma Sooners -7.5
This game will be played at Lloyd Noble Center at 4:00 ET on Saturday, January 18th.
WHY BET THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 80-67 in favor of the Sooners.
- Not only will Oklahoma pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -7.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 142.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Will the Gamecocks Make it Happen on the Road?
South Carolina Gamecocks Recent Game/Games
The Gamecocks fell to 10-7 on the season after a 66-63 loss to Vanderbilt on Wednesday. South Carolina, who entered the game as +9 underdogs, kept it closer than expected but couldn’t pull off the upset. The total points for the game were 129, falling short of the 141.5 O/U line.
South Carolina trailed 33-26 at halftime but showed resilience in the second half, outscoring Vanderbilt 37-33. Despite the loss, the Gamecocks’ ability to cover the spread on the road is a positive takeaway.
South Carolina put up 63 points in their last game, shooting 42.2% from the field and 48.9% in effective field goal percentage. They hit 43.8% from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 16 attempts, and were strong at the free-throw line, making 78.3% of their 23 attempts.
Morris Ugusuk led the way with 20 points, shooting 75.0% overall and from three-point range (3/4). Collin Murray-Boyles added 14 points and 9 rebounds, while AJ Hoggard contributed 14 points and 4 assists.
South Carolina’s defense held their opponent to 66 points, with a 41% shooting performance from the field. The Gamecocks allowed 19 two-point field goals on 35 attempts, translating to a 54% shooting rate inside the arc.
From three-point range, South Carolina’s defense limited their opponent to just 4 made threes on 21 attempts, a 19% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 76%. The Gamecocks gave up 8 offensive rebounds.
Can Oklahoma Deliver Being Favored at Home?
Oklahoma Sooners Recent Game/Games
Oklahoma’s season record moved to 13-4 after a 77-73 home loss to Texas on Wednesday. The Sooners, who were -2.5 favorites, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 150 narrowly exceeded the over/under line of 149.5.
Oklahoma found themselves trailing 43-27 at halftime but responded with a strong second half, outscoring Texas 46-34. Despite the comeback effort, the Sooners couldn’t complete the rally.
In their latest game, Oklahoma put up 73 points, shooting 51% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They connected on 60.6% of their two-point attempts, while hitting just 31.2% from beyond the arc, going 5-for-16 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, the Sooners shot 69.2%, making 18 of their 26 attempts.
Jalon Moore led the way with 29 points, shooting 69.2% overall and 60% from three, hitting 3-of-5 from deep. Jordan Pope added 27 points, though he struggled from three, making just 3-of-10 attempts. The Sooners finished with 8 assists and 6 offensive rebounds in the game.
Oklahoma’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 77 points on 51% shooting from the field. They allowed 60% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 20 of 33 shots inside the arc.
From three-point range, Oklahoma held their opponent to 31% shooting, with just 5 made threes on 16 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 26 times, where they converted 18 free throws, shooting 69%. Oklahoma gave up 6 offensive rebounds.