The No. 5 Florida Gators take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday afternoon in an SEC college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 4:00 p.m. ET in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Gators are listed as 5.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total set at O/U 162.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this SEC college basketball matchup.
Kentucky vs. Florida prediction, preview
The Florida Gators have catapulted up to No. 5 in the AP Poll. They are serious contenders to repeat as national champions, just like they did in 2006 and 2007. Florida enters this game on a 10-game winning streak. After losing its opening SEC game against Missouri, Florida has won 15 of its last 16 games. It is hard to find many flaws with this team. It is elite on both ends of the floor and leads the SEC in rebounding. The Gators have the largest average point differential in the conference, winning by an average of 15.1 points per game. Incredibly, they have won each of their past two games by exactly 34 points. The only slight concern for Florida is its three-point shooting ability. The Gators rank 15th out of 16 SEC teams in three-point percentage this season, shooting just 30.9% beyond the arc.
Kentucky is one of the few teams in the SEC with the raw athleticism to compete with Florida. The Gators are a much more disciplined, experienced and complete team. However, Kentucky has good athletes who can beat anybody on their best day. Kentucky has had a few great wins this season, at a neutral site against St. John’s, at Arkansas and two wins over Tennessee. Most recently, it beat No. 24 Vanderbilt last Saturday. Kentucky has been great at Rupp Arena, with a 14-3 home record this season. This will be a massive test for the Wildcats against the reigning national champions. However, it is also a great opportunity for them. They are currently slated to be a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but a win like this could bump them up a whole seed line.
Kentucky vs. Florida pick
My best bet for this game is on Kentucky +5.5. The Wildcats have been great at home this season, and there should be an amazing atmosphere for the regular-season finale against the defending champions and No. 5 team in the nation. When Kentucky traveled to Gainesville earlier this season, the Wildcats put up a good fight. Florida won by nine points in the end, but Kentucky played well. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their two top scorers went a combined 1-of-9 from beyond the three-point line. At home, Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen should have a much better shooting night. If everything plays out similarly to how it did in the first matchup, but Kentucky’s stars shoot better and Florida is a bit more shaky, Kentucky should keep this very close. The Wildcats have a real chance to pull off this upset and should keep it within the 5.5-point spread.
