Two of the top Southeastern Conference teams will face off on Thursday when the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks meet the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in women's college basketball action in Knoxville, Tenn. The Gamecocks (23-0, 10-0 SEC), who are 9-0 away from home this season, are coming off an 83-65 win over Connecticut on Sunday. South Carolina will be at full strength after leading scorer and rebounder Kamilla Cardoso rejoined the team after missing two games last week while playing for the Brazilian national team in Paris Olympics qualifying. The Lady Volunteers (15-8, 8-3 SEC), who have won three of four and are 10-2 on their home court, are coming off an 81-55 win over Arkansas on Monday.
Tip-off from Food City Center is set for 7 p.m. ET. Tennessee leads the all-time series 51-13, including a 23-4 edge in Knoxville. The Gamecocks are 20.5-point favorites in the latest South Carolina vs. Tennessee odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 148.5. Before making any Tennessee vs. South Carolina picks, check out what women's college basketball expert Calvin Wetzel has to say.
Wetzel, HerHoopStats.com lead betting writer, incorporates his mathematical background and strong knowledge of women's hoops to turn the site's prediction model into picks. Now Wetzel has turned his attention to women's college basketball after teaming up with Aaron Barzilai, a Ph.D. from Stanford, to go 996-685 on all college basketball picks over the last two seasons. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, Wetzel has set its sights on South Carolina vs. Tennessee. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the women's college basketball lines and trends for South Carolina vs. Tennessee:
- South Carolina vs. Tennessee spread: South Carolina -20.5
- South Carolina vs. Tennessee over/under: 148.5 points
- SC: The Gamecocks have won seven of the past eight meetings against Tennessee
- TEN: The Lady Volunteers are 1-4 against AP Top-25 teams this season
- South Carolina vs. Tennessee picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why South Carolina can cover
Senior center Kamilla Cardoso is a dominant force for the Gamecocks. In 21 games, including 20 starts, she is averaging 13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.1 assists in just 25.3 minutes of action. She has registered 10 double-doubles on the season, including a 20-point and 15-rebound performance in just 24 minutes in a 100-71 win over Notre Dame in November. In her last game before leaving for Olympic qualifying, she scored 17 points, registered four blocks, and grabbed four rebounds in 21 minutes in an 85-56 win over Mississippi on Feb. 4.
Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao has played in and started 22 games. She is one of three South Carolina players averaging double-figure scoring and is one of seven scoring at least nine points. She is averaging 12 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 27 minutes of action. She is coming off a 21-point performance in Sunday's win over UConn. See which team to pick here.
Why Tennessee can cover
Fifth-year senior forward Rickea Jackson helps power the Lady Volunteers. In 15 games, including 14 starts, she has reached double-digit scoring in each of them, including a season-high 31 points with 17 rebounds in a 92-91 loss at Florida State in November. She also scored 24 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in a 75-67 win at Auburn on Jan. 4. For the year, she is averaging 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and two assists in 30.8 minutes of action.
Senior guard Jewel Spear is also a big part of Tennessee's success. She has reached double-figure scoring in five of the last six games, including a 30-point effort in an 80-75 loss at Ole Miss on Jan. 28. She had 25 points in a 95-73 win at Georgia on Feb. 1. In 23 games, all starts, she is averaging 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make Tennessee vs. South Carolina picks
Wetzel has analyzed South Carolina vs. Tennessee and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.
Who wins South Carolina vs. Tennessee, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tennessee vs. South Carolina spread hits hard, all from the expert who is up 294 units since the start of the 2021-22 season.
