Brandon Lang
Another 15-Dime Winner ...
15 Dime South Carolina - Bring on Florida. The Gamecocks won't be threatened by the 24th-ranked Gators, even though they face Florida after dropping two in a row on the road. USC is still 12-4 overall, and with a 1-2 mark in SEC play, it'll view this as a must-win situation.
I told you Carolina would cover against Tennessee, and though the 'Cocks lost, I saw some positives late in the game. This team exerted plenty of energy and showed what it is capable of doing against a quality team in a very tough venue.
And I've come to like first-year coach Darrin Horn, who believes in learning from mistakes, and most certainly will have his team looking to correct ones his players committed on Saturday. Such as, finding a way to start the game much better and more intense at both ends of the court. They'll also step up their game defensively.
The best thing about this team is its experience. And with two great guards in Zam Fredrick and Devan Downey, I think we're going to see a tremendous effort with the frontcourt, which will create an inside-outside game that could frustrate Billy D's bunch. Mike Holmes and Dominique Archie have both come on and played extremely well, so their intensity will help us as well.
Fact is, Horn's system has been adopted perfectly, and these players are executing what he's wanted them to do with a lot of passion.
South Carolina is on 4-1 ATS run in SEC play and a perfect 4-0 versus the books after a straight-up loss. On the other hand, Florida is 4-10 in its last 14 SEC contests and 1-6 against the books when laying anywhere up to 6-1/2 points.
Take the home pup here.
5 Dime Clemson - The Tigers challenged the Heels three times last season - including in the ACC final. This year they're much, much better. Can they win in Chapel Hill? That remains to be seen, but they can cover a double-digit spread in conference play. As I mentioned about South Carolina, experience will also be key in this one. Clemson has it, and if it is as mentally tough as I believe it is, I think we're going to see a greater desire to finish off the Tar Heels this season, rather than delve into overtime, the same way these two did in last year's regular season clashes. Yep, both of em.
Despite Saturday?s loss to Wake Forest - Clemson's first of the season - the Tigers are on ATS runs of 5-1 on the road, 6-0 on the road against teams with a winning home record, 5-1 in ACC play, 4-1 on Wednesdays and 8-2 after suffering a double-digit home loss.
North Carolina, on the other hand, is on a 3-7 ATS slump overall, 1-5 ATS at home and has failed to cover in six of its last seven ACC games.
