South Carolina vs. Oregon: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: South Carolina vs. Oregon. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: South Carolina vs. Oregon
South Carolina 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
The Gamecocks will be a perfect test case for the debate about whether to trust the predictive metrics or the pure resume. With wins over Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida, and on the road against Mississippi State, South Carolina has shown the ability to win difficult games. Still, the Gamecocks rank second in the KenPom luck metric, and Shot Quality expected them to win six fewer games than they did this year. Regression is screaming to fade South Carolina, whose offense and defense both rank outside the top 40 in KenPom efficiency metrics.
With the 354th-ranked pace of play, it makes sense that variance has been on the side of South Carolina, with fewer possessions in every game it plays. Nothing stands out about this team. Meechie Johnson and B.J. Mack are solid, Ta’Lon Cooper can gun it from deep with a 45 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc. But it’s hard to picture this team as a squad that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents. South Carolina’s sluggish pace will limit teams in transition, and the Gamecocks don’t allow many threes — again, good for luck being on their side, but it’s not as if their defense is elite. Lamont Paris’ squad doesn’t force many turnovers. Sometimes, luck is on a team’s side all year. But with a nonconference strength of schedule that ranks 337th, the Gamecocks haven’t faced many tough teams outside the SEC, losing to the only one ranked in the top 50 in Clemson. You may be hearing “overrated†chants when South Carolina plays.
Oregon 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
Oregon secured their NCAA Tournament berth for the second time in six years by clinching the Pac-12 tournament title. Oregon’s offensive prowess has been a key strength this season. They excel in ball security, with a top-50 ranked turnover percentage offensively. N'Faly Dante delivered a stellar performance in their final game against Colorado, shooting a perfect 12 for 12 from the field and contributing a career-high 25 points, along with nine rebounds and three steals, leading the Ducks to a 75-68 victory over Colorado.
Defensively, Oregon performs at a similar level to their offense. They excel in preventing opponents from scoring in the paint, allowing only around 55% shooting from close range, which limits inside shot attempts. However, they struggle more with defending mid-range jumpers and looks from deep. Their upset over Arizona highlighted their ceiling, and just like NC State, we have seen double-digit power conference teams make surprising runs. The ceiling isn’t high for Dana Altman’s team, but with their overall consistent play, they have a respectable floor.
2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: South Carolina vs. Oregon
South Carolina should be commended for making the NCAA Tournament after being projected to finish in the cellar of the SEC. But nobody wants to see Dana Altman in the NCAA Tournament. Per usual, the Ducks are playing their best basketball and getting healthier when it matters most, and rank 48th nationally over their last 10 games, per Bart Torvik. Meanwhile, a Gamecocks team that relied on exceptional defense has slacked as of late, ranking 109th in defensive efficiency over their last 10 games. While South Carolina has an exceptional backcourt, they might not have an answer for Oregon big man N'Faly Dante. In a true toss-up, I'll take the more experienced tournament coach and the red-hot Ducks.
2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: South Carolina vs. Oregon
Pick: Oregon +1.5 (-110 on DraftKings)
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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks
Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!