Teams around the SEC are in search of quality wins as we enter the stretch run of the regular season, and the league appears to be in great shape in terms of NCAA Tournament bids.
There are four games on Tuesday’s schedule, which includes a showdown in Columbia between two bubble teams.
Let’s get to the picks.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 201-67
Alabama at South Carolina – 7 p.m. EST, ESPN
This is an important game for both teams, as the Crimson Tide need to avoid losing to a team that’s outside the tournament at the moment while South Carolina needs all the wins it can get.
Avery Johnson’s squad has played terrible in recent road trips, and considering that the Gamecocks have racked up three impressive home wins in a row, they’re the more confident pick in this spot.
Prediction: South Carolina 74, Alabama 70
Missouri at Mississippi State – 7 p.m. EST, SEC Network
Mississippi State is playing as well as anyone right now, and it gets another favorable matchup here against a Missouri team that’s scored more than 65 points just once in its last six games.
With the Bulldogs playing with a ton of confidence and momentum, they should be able to pull away down the stretch to extend their winning streak.
Prediction: Mississippi State 75, Missouri 64
Arkansas at No. 4 Kentucky – 9 p.m. EST, SEC Network
The Wildcats showed their strength in a blowout win over Auburn, and that was enough to push them to a No. 1 seed in the latest bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
Arkansas enters this game having lost five straight, and that’s just no ideal against a Kentucky team that looks like a legitimate national title contender at this point.
Prediction: Kentucky 81, Arkansas 65
Texas A&M at No. 13 LSU – 9 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Texas A&M is one of the most improved teams in the county, and Billy Kennedy has his team playing some of its best basketball of the season heading into an intriguing matchup in Baton Rouge.
It feels like the Tigers may not be as crisp in this one after such an emotional win over Tennessee, but LSU has enough playmakers to be able to secure the victory.
Prediction: LSU 80, Texas A&M 73
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.