Kentucky Wildcats at South Carolina Gamecocks Betting Preview

Opening Line: Wildcats -7 / Gamecocks +7 O/U 151

Time: 9 PM EST Monday January 26, 2010 on ESPN

Tonight the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks host the undefeated and top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in a SEC match up. After beginning SEC play at 2-0 the Gamecocks have lost 3 straight and are now 1 game under .500 in conference play. The Wildcats recently took over the #1 ranking and their offense, which averages 83.2 ppg, will be hard to stop tonight.

This season South Carolina is 8-2 at home and 7-9 ATS and Kentucky is 3-0 on the road and 8-8 ATS.

In their last games South Carolina lost a tough game to Florida 58-56 on Saturday while Kentucky crushed Arkansas 101-70 also on Saturday.

The Wildcats have 4 players averaging in double figures led by G John Wall (17 ppg) and F Patrick Patterson (15.9 ppg), who may both be lottery picks in the next NBA draft. F DeMarcus Cousins is the 3rd leading scorer (15.4 ppg) and leading rebounder (9.5 rpg) for the Wildcats and he also has a bright future in the NBA.

The Gamecocks have a legit and well-rounded offense with guards Devan Downey (21.9 ppg) and Brandis Raley-Ross (10.1 ppg), F Dominique Archie (14.4 ppg), and F/C Mike Holmes (9.4 ppg).

Downey not only has to have a good scoring game tonight, but he cannot allow Wall to beat him off the dribble for easy buckets in the lane or get open looks from deep.

If the Wildcats can play good defense on Downey they should have no problem winning this game.

The Gamecocks' forwards of Archie (6 rpg) and Sam Muldrow (5.4 rpg) and F/C Holmes (4.3 rpg) have to rebound well tonight and not allow Patterson (7.8 rpg) and Cousins (9.5 rpg) from dominating the boards and giving the Wildcats 2nd chance opportunities.

The Wildcats like to get out and run and the Gamecocks need to slow the pace of the game, as Kentucky is a much more athletic team.

If South Carolina can win this game it will vastly improve their chances to make it the Big Dance in March.

Kentucky is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win, and the total has gone Over in 8 of their last 10 games. South Carolina is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games, 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games as a home underdog, and has an Under record of 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games.

Our Selection : The Gamecocks have failed to reach 60 points in their last 2 games. Don't look for them to regain their scoring touch in this matchup. They host the top ranked Wildcats who have allowed only 4 opponents to score 70 or more points this season. South Carolina has played solid defence at home this year holding opponents to 67 points per game. Take Under 151