South Carolina vs. #17 Arkansas Picks and Predictions: Will Hogs Bounce Back?
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed Jan 14, 2026, 3:31 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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John Calipari and the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks are looking to bounce back after getting destroyed by the Auburn Tigers on the road last Saturday. It was the Hogs' first SEC loss of the year after beating No. 19 Tennessee and Ole Miss to open up conference play. However, they have the South Carolina Gamecocks coming to town, and this top 75 team has nothing to lose. Will the Razorbacks find a way to cover this double digit spread? Let's find out with our favorite picks.
Best Bet: Arkansas Team Total Over 84.5 (-104) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
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South Carolina Gamecocks vs. #17 Arkansas Razorbacks NCAA Basketball Insights
Meechie Johnson leads the Gamecocks as they face the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena tonight
Arkansas has four tough losses on their schedule, and I'm willing to look the other way on all of them. Losing to No. 22 Michigan State in East Lansing is expected, and they only lost by three. They covered a double digit spread against the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils before knocking off No. 6 Louisville and No. 16 Texas Tech. The Razorbacks dropped a matchup with No. 8 Houston before beginning SEC play, and failed to show up in their 22 point loss to the Auburn Tigers.
But they face a 10-6 South Carolina team that is just 1-2 in conference play already. Sure, they beat LSU on the road and lost ranked contests to No. 11 Vanderbilt and No. 18 Georgia at home, but things are not getting easier playing in the SEC. Once again, they have to face a ranked team, this time on the road. It's worth noting, this will be just their third road game of the season, and easily the toughest opponent they've seen away from home.
Matchup Information – South Carolina vs. Arkansas – January 14
- Venue & Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, AR)
- Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2025
- Kick Off: 9:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: SEC Network
South Carolina vs. Arkansas Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of January 14, 2025 at 1:58 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- South Carolina +11.5 (-113)
- Arkansas -11.5 (-107)
Moneyline
- South Carolina +475
- Arkansas -725
Total
- Over 156.5 (-108)
- Under 156.5 (-112)
I originally liked this line at -10.5 for the Hogs, and now it is up a point pretty much across the market. I'm not going to let that scare me away, as this is a classic bounce back spot for John Calipari's squad, and I see them handling business.
South Carolina vs. #17 Arkansas NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Coach Cal and Arkansas host the South Carolina Gamecocks on Wednesday Night
South Carolina vs. Arkansas Prediction: Arkansas Wins and Covers, Over 156.5
Best Bet: Arkansas Team Total Over 84.5 (-104) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
The Hogs are going to turn this thing into a track meet. They jump into the top 25 in terms of pace at home, averaging 74 possessions per contest. Arkansas is a top 10 offense, top 15 at taking care of the basketball, top 35 in eFG% and top 50 at getting to the free throw line. This team shoots a ridiculous 39.2% from deep, with that number jumping to over 40% in their own gym. They don't waste points at the free throw line either, shooting nearly 80% from the charity stripe as a team.
Now the Gamecocks are on the slower side of things, but the defense falls apart on the road. They balloon up from top 50 to north of 200 in opponent eFG% on the road, and are north of 275 in offensive rebounds and free throw rate defense. Plus, they allow their hosts to shoot over 38.5% from deep, ranking bottom 45 in the nation.
Calipari is going to kick his guys into gear and make sure they leave no doubt on the scoreboard. While I certainly have faith in the spread, I think this is a game where the Hogs score at will, putting up at least 85, something they've done in 7/10 games at Bud Walton Arena this year, ending with 79, 82, and 84 in the games they did not clear.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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