The 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off begins on Friday with a game between the South Carolina Gamecocks (4–0) and Butler Bulldogs (3–1) in their first-ever meeting. Both teams enter this matchup in White Sulphur Springs, WV off to strong starts. Which team will continue their strong start with a win here? Continue reading to get my South Carolina vs Butler prediction before tip-off.
Our South Carolina vs Butler Pick
Pick: Butler -2.5
Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Butler Bulldogs vs South Carolina Gamecocks
- Date & Time: Friday, November 21, 2025, 2:00 PM ET
- Venue: Colonial Hall, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV
- Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Key Storylines
- South Carolina’s deep rotation: The Gamecocks received 50 bench points in their most recent game, with Elijah Strong scoring 15 and Eli Ellis getting 14 points. Their coach has emphasized that multiple players can contribute, not just the starters, and the Gamecocks will look for more contributions from every direction in this game.
- Butler seeks bounce-back: Butler comes in off an 87–85 loss at SMU. Despite leading for much of that game, they couldn’t close it out. Late-game execution could be a concern again in this game and Butler will try to prove that they can hold their nerve in a game that is expected to be close.
- First-ever meeting: These two programs have never faced each other, adding an element of uncertainty to this contest. There is no head-to-head history to lean on, which could favor the more disciplined and better-prepared team.
- Neutral-site test: Neither team has a true home-court edge in White Sulphur Springs and neither team is too much closer to West Virginia than the other. This game will be decided more by the execution of both teams than the involvement of the crowd.
- Mountain Division matchup: These teams are in the Mountain Division of the Greenbrier Tip-Off along with Virginia and Northwestern. Butler will play Virginia on Sunday and South Carolina will take on Northwestern on Sunday.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- As mentioned previously, this is the first time that Butler and South Carolina have met in college basketball.
- Butler is 4-0 against the spread going into this game.
- South Carolina is 2-2 against the spread so far this season.
- South Carolina has gone over the total in three of its first four games.
- Butler is 2-2 in the over/under market going into Friday afternoon.
South Carolina vs Butler Model Projection
- Score Projection: South Carolina 76 – Butler 80
- Win Probability: Butler 57%, South Carolina 43%
Final Thoughts
I am going to lay the points with Butler in this matchup on Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs should take advantage of the fact that the Gamecocks have played one of the 10 weakest non-conference schedules in college basketball so far this year per KenPom. Expect South Carolina to struggle in their first real test of the season and for Butler to cover the number as a slight favorite.
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