Planning on watching today’s Spartans and Runnin’ Bulldogs game? Catch the action at Paul Porter Arena in Boiling Springs, NC, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 4:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 142 points, and Gardner-Webb is favored by -8 to win at home against USC Upstate.

USC UPSTATE SPARTANS VS GARDNER-WEBB RUNNIN’ BULLDOGS BETTING PICK

The Pick: USC Upstate Spartans +8

This game will be played at Paul Porter Arena at 4:00 ET on Saturday, January 27th.

WHY BET THE USC UPSTATE SPARTANS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-69 in favor of the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
  • Even though we have Gardner-Webb winning straight-up, we like USC Upstate at +8.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 142 points, and we like the over with a projected 143 points.

Will USC Upstate Be The Talk of Paul Porter Arena?

USC Upstate is coming off a 78-67 loss to High Point, and they have lost two straight games. They have gone 1-4 on the road this season, and their average scoring margin is -9.5 points per game. In their last 10 games away from home, they have gone 2-8.

So far this season, the Spartans are 6-13, and they are 1-5 in Big South play. As the underdog, they have gone 3-13, and they have yet to be the favorite in a game. Overall, they are 5-8 in non-conference games.

As the underdog this season, USC Upstate has gone 7-9 against the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is 5-6 and over their last 10 games as the underdog, they are 5-5 vs. the spread. In their last three road games, the Spartans have gone 1-2 ATS.

So far this season, the over/under record for USC Upstate games is 7-9, and today’s line of 142 is right in line with the average over/under line in their games this year (142.2). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 138 points, and their OU record in those games is 1-2. On the season, 8 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 142.

Coming off their recent game, the USC Upstate offense tallied 67 points in a matchup against High Point. Their field goal percentage for the game was 46.7%, and they made 3 threes. Trae Broadnax is leading the team in scoring at 14.3 points per contest. Justin Bailey has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 10.7 going into the game.

USC Upstate’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 72.8 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, USC Upstate’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 42.3% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 33.5% this season.

Will the Runnin’ Bulldogs Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Coming into this game, Gardner-Webb has won four straight games, including their most recent victory over Longwood by a score of 76-64. So far this season, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have gone 9-12, with a record of 4-2 in Big South play.

As the favorite, Gardner-Webb has gone 3-3, and they are 3-3 in their six games at home. Over their last ten games at home, the Runnin’ Bulldogs are 6-4.

As the favorite this season, Gardner-Webb has gone 3-3 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Bulldogs are just 3-7 ATS. At home this year, they have a 4-2 ATS mark and over their last 10 home games, they are 4-3 vs. the spread.

The over/under record for Gardner-Webb this season is 12-6 and today’s line of 142 is just below their average over/under line of 142.8. So far, they have had nine games finish with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 144 points.

In their latest game, Gardner-Webb offense put up 76 points against Longwood. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 52.9% and made 12 threes. DQ Nicholas was the leading scorer for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, putting up 20 points. In addition, Quest Aldridge contributed 17 points.

So far, the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ defense is ranked 185th in the country at 72.9 points per contest. In today’s game vs. USC Upstate, the Gardner-Webb defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Gardner-Webb made 20 free-throws vs. the Runnin’ Bulldogs.