This could quite possibly be the best game of the this year’s Sweet 16, and is definitely the most evenly matched, as the No. 3 Seed Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No. 7 Seed Florida Gators in the second game of a double header in Phoenix on Thursday.
A pair of teams with two drastically different styles will face off in this one, as the seventh-seed Florida Gators take on the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers in a second-round West Regional game in Omaha on Friday afternoon.
The Florida Gators are looking to finish strong but it wont be easy. To finish their SEC regular season they will be visiting Vanderbilt and following that with a visit from Kentucky to the Swamp.
Florida got over their 2-game losing streak by winning their last game and there is a god shot they will add another W in this game facing a reeling Arkansas team that has lost 4 of their last 6 games. NCAAB lines have Florida as a 5-point away favorite with a total of 145.5.
Can’t believe Florida (19-6) is only slight favorite in this game against Alabama (16-8), as the Tide will be without their 2 leading scorers and rebounders with JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell both suspended.
The Florida Gators may already have 3 losses but don’t be tricked into thinking this is not one of the best teams in America.
Saturday January 7
Thompson Boling Arena
11:00AM
Moneyline: Florida -350, Tennessee +290
Spread: Florida -7.5
O/U: 146
Florida
All of their losses have been in true road games and two of them were at Syracuse and Ohio State. The loss at Rutgers might be a head scratcher but, like I said this team is very good, not perfect, team, blessed with maybe the best backcourt in America and a terrific post player. I am not sure about their overall depth but this team can hang with pretty much anybody and is probably going to beat Kentucky when they host them later this season.
It is really hard not to like that backcourt, both in quality and quantitt The Gators have an amazing 4 guards averaging 9 or more point per game with Kenny Boynton leading the team with 9ppg. I would still like to see them throw the ball more often to Patric Young. who is a load to handle down low. because even though the guards are great he offers an amazing physical mismatch almost every night. Any game this team is shooting well they are very tough to beat.
Tennessee
It is a shame what has happened at Tennessee with the departure of former coach Bruce Pearl. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
I was a big fan of the program, their success and their style of play. I don’t want to pretend to know all the details but weren’t the infractions pretty minor, especially given how he has elevated the program to new heights. Right now they are entering SEC play with just a .500 record. New coach Cuonzo Martin has this team playing hard and they seem to rise to the occasion, playing their top opponents very well even though they haven’t broken through yet with a victory. This team should be able to compete in a mediocre SEC.
The talent level in Knoxville is below what we are used to seeing, giving lots of players a chance to step forward. The one player who really stands out is guard Trae Golden. As a frosh he never really found a way to contribute regularly but this year with the extra playing time he is leading the club with 14ppg. His play against Florida is going to be especially important because he is also their leading distributor and will have to guard one of the Gators great guards. Forward Jeronne Maymon is another player who will have his hands full as he try to keep Young out of the paint. He is their leading rebounder but unfortunately the matchup is not unfavourable. Pretty much all of them are that way for the Vols in this one.
Spread Pick: Florida -7.5
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Florida 83 – Tennessee 69
In a huge early season showdown between two of the top teams in men’s college basketball this season, the Florida Gators square-off against the Syracuse Orange this Friday night at the Carrier Dome in this SEC/Big East tilt.
Both of these SEC strongholds have hit turbulence in recent weeks. The Florida Gators have lost consecutive games – badly to West division stalwarts Alabama and LSU. Auburn, meanwhile, is coming off a 38-14 spanking at the hands of Arkansas.
With the recent news of Gators QB John Brantley’s injury – he will be out for at least the LSU game, and maybe longer – some of the shine has been rubbed off this apple of the SEC regular season schedule. But, it is still a huge game that the entire conference and country will be tuned in for.
Along with perhaps Nebraska versus Wisconsin, this is the marquee game of the week in the college football world. Forgetting about LSU momentarily, these have been the two best teams in the conference; both have been winning in highly convincing fashion.
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The College Football season may be 5-6 weeks away but our man James Hayes has been deep in study and will provide his take and 2010 College Football Predictions on as many NCAA teams as he can before the 2010/11 season kicks off.
Prior to the start of the 2009 college football season, the world was the Florida Gators’ oyster.
Coming off a BCS championship the season before, the preseason NCAA Football odds unanimously declared Florida the No. 1 team in the nation and the Gators were favored to repeat the feat this year, as online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com had them as the odds-on favorite with odds set at +200 in late summer.
The College Football season may be 7-8 weeks away but our man James Hayes has been deep in study and will provide his take and 2009 College Football Predictions on as many NCAA teams as he can before the 2009/10 season kicks off.
We start from the top and move our way down so keep checking in for more college football previews for the 2009-2010 NCAA Football Season!
South Carolina Gamecocks (16-4 SU, 7-7-1 ATS) at Florida Gators (18-4 SU, 7-8 ATS)
BetUS NCAAB Betting Odds: FLORIDA -8.5, Total 151.5
Here are some of the NCAAB betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* SC has won and covered four of its last five games
* SC has played five of its last six games OVER the total
BetUS NCAA Basketball Sports Betting Odds: FLORIDA -1.5
Here are some of the NCAA basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* FLA has won its last ten games SU
* FLA has covered three of its last nine games
