Alabama vs. Florida College Basketball prediction, preview
Both the Crimson Tide and Gators are in relatively similar spots here. Both lost big games as a home favorite last Saturday, with Tennessee winning in Tuscaloosa, and Auburn getting a pretty stunning upset in Gainesville. As you’d expect, both Bama and Florida responded this week with absolute beatdowns of Missouri and South Carolina. The Tide hosted the Tigers and won by a final of 90-64, while the Gators went to South Carolina and nearly won by 50 points.
Each of these programs enter Sunday afternoon’s showdown with six losses, but the spread tells us what power ratings really think of these teams. The Gators have been bet up from a 7.5-point favorite out to 8.5, and I agree with the move. When Florida drops a game, it doesn’t just bounce-back the next time out, it uses the loss to fuel a winning streak with margin.
When the Gators fell to Mizzou earlier in SEC play, they ripped off a five-game winning streak, covering all five games. During the 5-0 SU/ATS run, they beat Georgia by 15, Tennessee by 24, Oklahoma by 17, Vandy by four and LSU by 18. It feels like that type of run incoming for the Gators once again, with this being a similar spot to when Tennessee came to The Swamp.
Florida’s size matches up well with ‘Bama, and I expect the Tide to get crushed on the glass in this game. The Gators are also balanced on both sides of the ball, while Alabama’s 62nd-ranked defense on KenPom continues to be an issue. The Gators should be able to score the ball with ease in this one, and come up with enough stops to pull away with margin.
I laid the points with Florida, but also see a wire-to-wire victory here. If you want an alternative to laying the points, the -160 halftime/fulltime result to lead at halftime and win the game is another way to play it.
CBB Pick: Florida -8.5 (-110)
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