We Got Your Pick – Commodores at Gamecocks

Vanderbilt Commodores (12-7 SU, 6-9-1 ATS) at South Carolina Gamecocks (14-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS)

BetOnline NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: SOUTH CAROLINA -6.5

Here are some of the NCAA basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* VAN is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five games

* VAN has lost four of its last five games SU

* VAN has played four of its last six games UNDER the total

* VAN has covered one of its last six road games

* VAN has lost six of its last seven road games SU

* VAN has played 10 of its last 13 road games UNDER the total

* SC has won 14 of its last 18 games SU

* SC has won 12 of its last 13 home games SU

Also…

* VAN has won the last five meetings SU

* VAN has covered four of the last five meetings

* VAN has covered the last four meetings as the road team

* Three of the last four meetings in Columbia have gone UNDER the total

* VAN has had the shooting edge in four of the last five meetings

* VAN has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings

Vanderbilt was going to have it tough after losing Shan Foster, the sharp-shooting guard who left school. Certainly center A.J. Oglivy remains a lynchpin of this offense, and Oglivy, who garnered pre-season All-American mention from more than one publication, has held up his end for the most part, averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds a game.

However, Oglivy is shooting a lower percentage than last year’s 59% (only 53% this season), and he has been slumping, making one field goal in each of the last two games, and in home games at that. Naturally, that’s not a healthy thing to be taking into this contest, since, even though Vandy has three other double-digit scorers in the lineup, Oglivy is clearly the first option.

The Commodores have had a hard time holding onto the ball (14.4 turnovers a game) and they have been pretty unreliable on the road as well. There’s nothing like a strong backcourt to exploit advantages at home, and in this case the Gamecocks have just the duo in Devan Downey (19.7 ppg, 47% FG’s) and Zam Frederick (15.8 ppg). Forward Evaldas Baniulis is a major threat off the bench, hitting a sizzling 55% of his threes. True, Brandon Conrad, who is out with an injury, was the most reliable ball-handler they had, but you can’t have everything.

With no covers in their last five games, I’m not so sure this is the atmosphere for Vanderbilt to be pulling off any surprises. South Carolina is tough at home; they beat Florida a week ago despite shooting just 39%, they played down to the wire with Tennessee immediately before that, and they are anxious to end a five-game losing streak to the Commodores. We are going to lay the points with South Carolina, the 6.5-point favorite in the BetOnline Sportsbook NCAA college basketball betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: SOUTH CAROLINA -6.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetOnline Locker Room)