Oregon State vs. South Carolina Expert Pick and Prediction – March 31, 2024 

OREGON STATE VS. SOUTH CAROLINA EXPERT PICK AND PREDICTION – March 31, 2024 — It was all going perfectly for South Carolina against Indiana, and then carelessness set in. And now there’s genuine questions around the Gamecocks and their undefeated record, as the Hoosiers exposed a few weaknesses in turning a 22-point game into a four-point loss.

But South Carolina is still here, and the Gamecocks are still around to try to get back to the Final Four. And they’ll get to try to do it against Oregon State, which survived its own battle against a school from Indiana. The Beavers managed to survive 26 turnovers against Notre Dame, escaping with a win.

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Oregon State’s in a unique situation, because on one hand, the Beavers are on track to return everyone next season. On the other, thanks to realignment, the Beavers are set to drop into the West Coast Conference for the next two seasons. Other than Gonzaga, the Beavers’ conference competition is set to take a massive hit. And that has Oregon State and its fans worried that this team might get picked apart by the transfer portal.

So this might be the only shot the Beavers get, and they’ve got to shoot their shot against South Carolina to make it to the Final Four. It’s a daunting task, but it looks a lot more manageable than it did two days ago.

The Odds 

Tipoff 

When: Sunday, March 31 at 1 p.m. EST 

Where: MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y.

TV: ABC

Public Bets: Unavailable 

Public Money: Unavailable

Odds courtesy of DraftKings, as of March 30th, 2024

Oregon State vs. South Carolina In-Season Trends 

This might be a tough one for South Carolina because of how Oregon State makes teams work. The Beavers’ defense did it again to Notre Dame, as they held the Irish to 35.6% from the field. Oregon State’s defense proved so effective against the Irish that Notre Dame actually sank three fewer baskets than the Beavers while taking 25 more shots.

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South Carolina has mostly crushed its opponents, but the Gamecocks also didn’t play that tough a schedule. Prior to whacking North Carolina, there were signs of slippage from South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ last four SEC games were decided by no more than 11 points, with Tennessee losing by a single point in the SEC tournament and LSU pushing them in a seven-point game.

The Difference-Makers 

The work that Timea Gardiner and Raegan Beers did on the boards made a world of difference for Oregon State. To put it in perspective, the two of them grabbed the same number of rebounds (24) as Notre Dame’s entire roster. South Carolina presents a similar need to get rebounds, as the Gamecocks excel at deep shooting and usually count on Kamilla Cardoso inside.

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Cardoso kept Indiana from bringing MacKenzie Holmes out too often, which opened things up for the Gamecock guards. But with Oregon State bringing a lot more size to the equation, Cardoso might have a harder time finding space. If she does, Oregon State has a real chance.

The Pick 

It’s very hard to pick against South Carolina in a women’s basketball game. The Gamecocks have dominated the sport for a reason. But if a team can neutralize Cardoso, South Carolina can be pushed around inside.

Oregon State seems to have the players to do that. The Beavers must take better care of the basketball to do it, but the fact that they’re still here after 26 turnovers speaks to how well they played in every other aspect. This spread seems too high.