by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2022
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC
Where to watch: SEC Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Auburn -10.5; O/U 145.5; Auburn -600, South Carolina +435
BetMGM: Auburn -10.5; O/U 145.5; Auburn -625, South Carolina +450
Caesars: Auburn -10.5; O/U 145.5; Auburn -667, South Carolina +450
Season record
No. 9 Auburn: 12-1 (1-0 SEC)
South Carolina: 9-3
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Auburn - South Carolina preview and analysis
Recent form
Auburn: won nine straight; won 70-55 vs. No. 16 LSU on Dec. 29
South Carolina: won four of five; won 105-75 vs. Army on Dec. 22
The Fighting Bruce Pearls are off to a strong start heading into the nitty gritty of conference play.
That's just been the life of the Auburn Tigers since Pearl took over as coach and the trajectory of Auburn continues to skyrocket. Now the ninth-ranked team in the country, Auburn will look for its 10th straight win on Tuesday against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia.
Now that college basketball is back to a full grind, the Tigers are back to reminding folks that they're worthy of being a top team in the nation. Sometimes people forget that Auburn was in the Final Four in 2019, just Pearl's second season with the program.
Auburn is off to a 12-1 start and is coming off a 15-point win over the previously-undefeated LSU Tigers before the new year kicked in. Walker Kessler had a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and *checks notes* 11 blocks. He did have one assist in that game, in case you were wondering.
Jabari Smith also added 16 points, and Wendell Green Jr. had 15 points and six rebounds off the bench.
"I think that we have, if not the best defense in the country, one of the most elite ones," Kessler said. "I think we showed that tonight. We played aggressive, blocked shots, went after loose balls."
If there was a time to enjoy what's going on with the SEC right now, it's now. Teams like Auburn and LSU are competing with Kentucky for supremacy and there hasn't been this level of enjoyment in a long time.
That also includes a team like South Carolina that's won nine games out of 12 to begin this season. The Gamecocks enter conference play after a 30-point win over the Army Black Knights in which they scored a season-high 105 points.
Devin Carter had a game-high 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench, while Chico Carter Jr. led the starters with 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting. South Carolina scored 61 points in the first half and manhandled the game despite letting defense get away; Army shot 40.3 percent from the floor but grabbed 21 offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities.
The Fighting Bruce Pearls are off to a strong start heading into the nitty gritty of conference play.
That's just been the life of the Auburn Tigers since Pearl took over as coach and the trajectory of Auburn continues to skyrocket. Now the ninth-ranked team in the country, Auburn will look for its 10th straight win on Tuesday against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia.
Now that college basketball is back to a full grind, the Tigers are back to reminding folks that they're worthy of being a top team in the nation. Sometimes people forget that Auburn was in the Final Four in 2019, just Pearl's second season with the program.
Auburn is off to a 12-1 start and is coming off a 15-point win over the previously-undefeated LSU Tigers before the new year kicked in. Walker Kessler had a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and *checks notes* 11 blocks. He did have one assist in that game, in case you were wondering.
Jabari Smith also added 16 points, and Wendell Green Jr. had 15 points and six rebounds off the bench.
"I think that we have, if not the best defense in the country, one of the most elite ones," Kessler said. "I think we showed that tonight. We played aggressive, blocked shots, went after loose balls."
If there was a time to enjoy what's going on with the SEC right now, it's now. Teams like Auburn and LSU are competing with Kentucky for supremacy and there hasn't been this level of enjoyment in a long time.
That also includes a team like South Carolina that's won nine games out of 12 to begin this season. The Gamecocks enter conference play after a 30-point win over the Army Black Knights in which they scored a season-high 105 points.
Devin Carter had a game-high 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench, while Chico Carter Jr. led the starters with 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting. South Carolina scored 61 points in the first half and manhandled the game despite letting defense get away; Army shot 40.3 percent from the floor but grabbed 21 offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities.
Prediction
Auburn is 7-2 against the spread in its last nine with those two losses coming by just 1.5 and 2.5 points (one was even as a 28.5-point favorite). After South Carolina had that offensive showcase, Auburn's defense is going to be a major test for SC. Auburn by 15
Betting trends
Auburn is 1-7 ATS as a road favorite or a pick over the past three seasons.
Auburn is 17-19 ATS against conference opponents the past three seasons.
South Carolina is 15-17 ATS at home over the past few seasons.
Projected starting lineup
Auburn:
PG: K.D. Johnson
SG: Zep Jasper
SF: Devan Cambridge
PF: Jabari Smith II
C: Walker Kessler
SF: Devan Cambridge
PF: Jabari Smith II
C: Walker Kessler
South Carolina:
PG: Jacobi Wright
SG: James Reese V
SF: Erik Stevenson
PF: A.J. Wilson
C: Wildens Leveque
SF: Erik Stevenson
PF: A.J. Wilson
C: Wildens Leveque
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
