The 2024 SEC Tournament Championship Game will take place from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville this afternoon as the No. 6 Florida Gators will battle the the No. 4 Auburn Tigers. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN.
The winner will receive the SEC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Florida is seeking its first SEC Tournament title since 2014 while Auburn is looking to cut down the nets for the first time since 2019. The Gators worked the Tigers 81-65 in their regular season matchup back on February 10.
We’ll take a look at the two teams below and make a pick for the championship.
Florida: 24-10 (11-7 SEC), 28 NET, 25 KenPom
Florida took a huge step forward under second-year head coach Todd Golden this season and was a thorn in the side of the league’s top contenders by the end of the year. Earning the No. 6 seed for the SEC Tournament, the Gators got to today’s title game by downing No. 11 Georgia in the second round, No. 3 Alabama in the quarterfinals, and No. 7 Texas A&M in the semifinals.
Florida likes to move quickly up and down the floor and operates with one of the fastest tempos in the country on both offense and defense. Much of the Gators’ efficiency on offense can be attributed to them creating second-chance opportunities as they have the sixth-highest offensive rebounding rate in the country at 37.8%.
Auburn: 26-7 (13-5 SEC), 5 NET, 4 KenPom
Auburn was once again one of the top powers in the SEC and is hoping to recreate the magic of its 2019 Final Four run by capturing the SEC tourney title. The Tigers had a handful of hiccups through SEC action but remained consistent, tying Kentucky, Alabama, and South Carolina for second in the conference standings. Earning a double-bye with the No. 4 seed, they demolished No. 5 South Carolina in the quarters before handling No. 9 Mississippi State in the semis.
Auburn has been elite on both sides of the floor and its bread and butter has been on the defense side of the floor. AU have squeezed opponents for nation low’s in eFG% at 43.6% and two-point shooting at 42.8%. The Tigers also boast the third-best block rate in the nation at 15.9% and a huge driver of that has been Johni Broome, who is averaging 2.2 blocks per game.
How to watch the SEC Tournament Championship Game
When: Sunday, March 17
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennesse
TV: ESPN
Livestream: WatchESPN.com, ESPN App
Odds for SEC Tournament Championship Game from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Auburn -5.5
Moneyline: Auburn -245, Florida +200
Total: 155.5
The Pick: Auburn -5.5
Auburn has been elite in neutral sire games all season long, posting a 6-1 overall record and a 5-2 record against the spread. Both teams have been locked in during their respective runs in Nashville, but I think the Tigers’ defense will play a major factor against a Gator team that may be a bit fatigued playing their fourth game in four days. Give me Auburn to cover.