LSU Tigers vs South Carolina Gamecocks Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: LSU Tigers vs South Carolina Gamecocks

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC

TV: SEC Network

Colonial Life Arena is where the South Carolina Gamecocks (11-10) will take on the LSU Tigers (13-8) on Saturday.

The LSU Tigers stepped onto the hardwood against Mississippi State and ended up losing by a score of 80-66 in their last game. Concerning personal fouls, the Tigers ended up with 15 and Mississippi State totaled 17 personal fouls. They also converted 10 of their 21 attempts from downtown. Mississippi State finished 70.0% at the free throw line by making 14 of 20 tries. Furthermore, Mississippi State grabbed 39 boards (11 offensive, 28 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Mississippi State recorded 14 assists and had 5 steals for the game. When it comes to the defense, LSU allowed 50.9% from the field on 28 out of 55 shooting. They also recorded 7 dimes in the game while forcing 15 turnovers and earning 12 steals. In reference to grabbing rebounds, they earned a total of 18 with 6 of them being of the offensive sort. From the free throw line, the Tigers made 12 of 23 tries for a rate of 52.2%. LSU ended the contest having earned a 43.1% field goal percentage (25 out of 58) and buried 4 of their 20 shots from 3-point land.

Max Mackinnon is one guy who was a contributor for the contest. He totaled 15 points on 6 out of 11 shooting. He played for 27 mins and also collected 1 board. He finished shooting 54.5% from the floor but had no dimes when the game ended.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

LSU will enter this matchup with a mark of 13-8 on the season. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.8 times per game and as a group they are committing 18.1 personal fouls every game. As a unit, LSU is grabbing 37.4 boards per contest and has racked up 305 assists this year, which ranks 160th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Tigers are hitting 32.9% on shots from distance (141 of 428) and 76.5% from the free throw line. They are averaging 82.4 points per game (72nd in D-1) while hitting 48.7% from the floor.

On defense, the Tigers are forcing 10.7 turnovers per contest and they draw 19.7 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 35.3% on three-point shots while they are 190th in college hoops in points per game from their opponents (73.8). The Tigers defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 42.4% (536 of 1,264) and they surrender 33.3 boards per game as a unit. They are currently ranked 89th in the country in giving up assists to the opposition with 254 relinquished for the campaign.

When they last stepped on the court, the South Carolina Gamecocks walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 95-48 against Florida. The Gamecocks were able to snag 14 defensive boards and 5 offensive boards totaling 19 for this game. They also gave up possession of the ball 10 times, while earning 6 steals in the matchup. Florida committed 14 fouls for the matchup which got the Gamecocks to the charity stripe for a total of 17 shots. They were able to make 15 of the free throw tries for a rate of 88.2%. In terms of 3-point shots, South Carolina made 3 of 20 attempts (15.0%). When this game wrapped up, the Gamecocks walked away from this one shooting 15 out of 58 from the field which had them at 25.9%. The Gamecocks allowed Florida to knock down 38 of 61 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 62.3% in this contest. They shot 42.9% from 3-point land by shooting 9 of 21 and finished the contest at 10 of 14 at the free throw line (71.4%). Concerning how they rebounded, South Carolina permitted Florida to snag 40 in all (6 on the offensive side).

Eli Ellis ended up being a major contributor for the Gamecocks in this game. He accumulated 13 points in his 26 minutes on the hardwood and tallied 1 assist in this game. He knocked down 3 of 10 in the matchup for a field goal rate of 30.0%, and earned 2 rebounds.

South Carolina has a win-loss record of 11-10 on the season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Gamecocks are connecting on 44.8% from the field, which ranks them 218th in college. South Carolina has totaled 1,615 pts for the year (76.9 per contest) and they pull in 33.8 rebounds per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 14.1 times per game (183rd in D-1) and they turn it over 10.3 times per contest. The Gamecocks are committing 17.0 personal fouls every game and they hit 79.0% from the free throw line.

The Gamecocks on the defensive side of the court are 195th in the nation in points per game surrendered with 74.0. They are forcing their opponents into 10.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 44.7% from the floor (234th in college hoops). The South Carolina defense gives up 30.4% from downtown (132 of 434) and opponents are making 70.4% of their free throw shots. They allow 14.8 assists and 35.0 boards per contest, which is ranked 288th and 210th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take LSU

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.