The No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes will take on the No. 7 Florida Gators in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday. Tipoff is set for this South Region matchup is set for 4:30 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the game will air on TBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 7 Florida best bet
Colorado (25-10, 13-7 Pac-12) had to play its way into the field of 64 on Wednesday and was successful, downing Boise State 60-53 in the First Four. This was a tight game deep into the second half and the Buffaloes managed to hold the Broncos to just four points in the final 4:32 to advance. Tristan da Silva led the way with 20 points in the win.
CU snuck into the NCAA Tournament by going on a late-season heater, winning six straight games to close the regular season before making it to the Pac-12 Tournament title game..There are two areas where the Buffs have bee dominant, one being three-point shooting where they are shooting 39.1%. The other has been on the boards, where they have limited opponents to just 30.2 rebounds per game.
Florida (24-11, 11-7 SEC) is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, taking a huge step forward under second-year head coach Todd Golden. Led by All-SEC guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin, the Gators were able to finish in the upper half of the conference standings before making a run all the way to the SEC Championship Game. They unfortunately lost their starting center in that contest with 7’1’ Micah Handlogten suffering a broken leg.
UF is a team that likes to play at a breakneck speed, operating at one of the 20 fastest tempos in the entire country. The Gators managed to have one of the most efficient offenses in the nation and a huge part of that was their ability to create second-chance opportunities with a 37.5% offensive rebounding rate. The loss of Handlogten is a huge blow on that front, so senior forward Tyrese Samuel will have to step up down low.
Betting lines
Friday odds
Spread: Colorado -1
Total: 158.5
Moneyline: Colorado -115, Florida -105
Opening odds
Spread: Florida -2
Total: 158.5
Moneyline: Florida -135, Colorado +114
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: Colorado +2
Colorado has the momentum heading into this contest and it’s going to be difficult for Florida to stop it in its tracks. The Buffs have been effective at slowing teams down on the defensive side of the floor and that will present an obstacle for a Gator team that likes to get shots up in 16 seconds or less. Of course, UF will have to tweak its lineup with its starting center down and that presents an opportunity for CU to capitalize. Give me the Buffs to cover and pull the 10-7 upset.