South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 30 (Gamecocks Get Above a .500 Record)

South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for December 30 (Gamecocks Get Above a .500 Record)

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South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game
  • South Carolina (6-6) vs. Eastern Michigan (3-9)
  • Date: Friday, December 30, 2022
  • Time: 7:00 PM ET
  • Venue: Colonial Life Arena -- Columbia, South Carolina

The 2022-23 college basketball season continues on Friday with an exciting matchup between the Eastern Michigan Eagles and South Carolina Gamecocks. Eastern Michigan snapped its three-game losing streak with a 79-77 win over Detroit Mercy on Dec. 18. The Eagles shot 47.1% from long range.

Meanwhile, South Carolina took down Western Kentucky, 65-58, its last time out (Dec. 22) to earn its third win in its last five games. Junior Meechi Johnson Jr. racked up a team-high 25 points (8-of-16 shooting), while freshman G.G. Jackson posted an efficient double-double (12 points & 16 rebounds).

South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Odds & Spread

South Carolina enters this contest as clear home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 142.5 points, which is about average compared to Friday's projected totals.

South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Betting Trends

  • South Carolina has six wins in 12 games against the spread this season.
  • The Gamecocks have won twice ATS (2-1) as an 8.5-point favorite or more this season.
  • South Carolina has seen four of its 12 games go over the point total.
  • Eastern Michigan's record against the spread is 4-7-0.
  • The Eagles have won once ATS (1-1) as an 8.5-point underdog or more this year.
  • There have been seven Eastern Michigan games (out of 11) that hit the over this season.
South Carolina Rank South Carolina AVG Eastern Michigan AVG Eastern Michigan Rank
334th 64.1 Points Scored 74.9 141st
206th 69.5 Points Allowed 81.3 357th
131st 33.6 Rebounds 28.8 337th
26th 11.3 Off. Rebounds 7.5 283rd
156th 7.8 3pt Made 6.8 251st
320th 11.4 Assists 10.2 350th
169th 12.3 Turnovers 11.0 48th

South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Prediction & Pick

Eastern Michigan will attempt to accomplish something that it hasn't done since December of 2021 on Friday and that is win back-to-back games. The Eagles live and die by the efforts of their top scorer Emoni Bates. The sophomore is averaging 19.4 points per game on a 44.4% shooting mark.

South Carolina welcomed eight new players to the roster this year and are playing under a first-year head coach in Lamont Paris. That hasn't stopped the Gamecocks from giving up only 60.6 points per home game on a 42.8% opponent shooting mark. That defense will be the difference-maker here.

The Gamecocks are riding an eight-game home winning streak, so I trust them to get the job done.

Final Score Prediction: South Carolina: 75 | Eastern Michigan: 61

South Carolina vs Eastern Michigan Best Bet

While South Carolina still needs to figure out its offensive struggles, the team is a reliable 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games. The Gamecocks are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a Mid-American opponent and playing this game at home gives them a chance to build a lead.

The Gamecocks need to finish their non-conference schedule on a high note, so look for them to be fired up and pushing the pace early in this one. After all, Eastern Michigan is a disappointing 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games and its average scoring margin on the year sits at -7.8 (No. 284 in NCAA).

Bet: South Carolina Gamecocks -8.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.