The SEC is on track to match its record eight NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, with many teams having lots of quality win opportunities still available at this point in the season.
There are four intriguing matchups on Tuesday’s schedule, as two top five teams will be in action.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 176-53
South Carolina at No. 5 Kentucky – 7 p.m. EST, SEC Network
It’s hard to ignore South Carolina’s 6-2 start in league play, but this will undoubtedly be one of their toughest tests of the season given how well Kentucky is playing right now.
While the Gamecocks have had some success on the road, John Calipari’s team should be able to dominate the offensive glass and prevent South Carolina from finding many easy looks on offense.
Prediction: Kentucky 85, South Carolina 71
Vanderbilt at Arkansas – 9 p.m. EST, SEC Network
This is one of those games that has an interesting setup considering that the Commodores desperately need a win while the Razorbacks are coming off their best victory of the season.
It seems possible that this could be a potential letdown spot for Mike Anderson’s group, but I’m not sure you can pick against Arkansas based on the recent trends for both teams.
Prediction: Arkansas 79, Vanderbilt 73
Missouri at No. 1 Tennessee – 9 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Tennessee won the previous meeting in Columbia by 24 points, and the most incredible part of that win was the fact that Grant Williams scored just four points.
The Vols are the most complete team in the country, and while the Tigers will try to dictate the tempo in this matchup, pulling off an upset here is going to be a significant challenge.
Prediction: Tennessee 78, Missouri 59
Florida at Auburn – 9 p.m. EST, ESPNU
Auburn enters this game eighth in the country in offensive efficiency while Florida is 10th in defensive efficiency, so this will certainly be a matchup that tests the strengths of each team.
But considering how inconsistent the Gators are offensively, it’s tough to have confidence in them finding enough points to keep up with one of the top scoring teams in the nation.
Prediction: Auburn 77, Florida 63
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