South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt: How to watch, odds, predictions from ESPN, KenPom

South Carolina and Vanderbilt will square off in Nashville on Tuesday in an SEC matchup that’ll air on SEC Network. Ahead of their inter-conference showdown, predictions and betting odds – including KenPom analytics – are rolling in.

How to watch South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt

Tip-off: 7 p.m. ET

Location: Memorial Gymnasium, Nashville, Tennessee

Channel: SEC Network

Vegas odds

Vanderbilt is an 8.5-point favorite over South Carolina on Tuesday, according to VegasInsider. The over-under is set at 129.9 points.

ESPN BPI prediction

Predicted winner: Vanderbilt

Predicted point differential: 11.5

Win probability (for Vanderbilt): 87.3%

Matchup quality: 49.2

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a tool that measures team strength and uses that to predict outcomes of future performances. ESPN’s BPI has South Carolina vs Vanderbilt ranked as the 17th highest-rated game on Tuesday’s slate in terms of matchup quality.

KenPom prediction

Predicted final score: Vanderbilt 67, South Carolina 58

Win probability (for Vanderbilt): 79%

KenPom is another tool that provides advanced analysis across college basketball. Like ESPN, KenPom projects that Vanderbilt comes away with a victory over South Carolina.

More on South Carolina vs Vanderbilt

Both teams enter this matchup fresh from back-to-back wins, are 7-6, and will play in their first Southeastern conference matchup of the season. The Gamecocks most recently handled business in their two-game home stand defeating Western Kentucky and Eastern Michigan before hitting the road against Vanderbilt.

So far this season, South Carolina has been led by the play of freshman forward and Columbia product Gregory Jackson. Jackson, a five-star prospect out of high school ranked the No. 7 overall player in the 2022 class, leads the Gamecocks in scoring this season averaging 17.2 points per game. His scoring average ranks fourth overall in the SEC and second among freshman, only behind Alabama‘s Brandon Miller.

A freshman may lead the Gamecocks, but the Commodores are led by experienced fifth-year senior Liam Robbins, who leads Vanderbilt in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. The 7-footer’s defense presence in the paint has been elite so far this season, with his 2.8 blocks per game ranking first in the SEC and fourth in the entire nation.

This matchup’s oldest and youngest superstars could have a major impact in this game, as both teams will look to open up conference play on the right note in their first SEC showdown of the season.