The No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats (+1,200 to win the national title) are playing catch-up in the SEC standings, but there’s are plenty of chances for them to catch the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at the top. A win against the Florida Gators (+15,000 to win the national title) this weekend should help Kentucky. While they’re the favorites for that game, the Wildcats can’t overlook the Gators, who can be hard to stop if they catch fire.
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Betting Preview for the Kentucky Wildcats vs. Florida Gators College Basketball Game on February 2, 2019
Where: Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville
When: Saturday, February 2, 2019, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Kentucky Wildcats (odds) vs. Florida Gators (odds) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats (16-3 Overall / 5-1 Conference)
Assuming that they get past the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville this Tuesday like what most people expect to happen, the Wildcats will arrive in Gainesville this coming Saturday riding a giant wave of momentum, as that would mean their winning streak have been extended to seven games. Over that same stretch, they got wins against the No. 14 Auburn Tigers, the No. 22 Mississippi State Bulldog, and the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks. Against the Jayhawks over the weekend, Kentucky pounded its opponent on the glass, winning the rebounding battle by a large margin, 49-36, in a 71-63 victory over Bill Self’s squad. Expect the Wildcats to dominate the rebounding battle again against the Gators. It’s a strength of Kentucky, while it’s not the same case for Florida. Kentucky is 34th in the nation with 39.0 rebounds per game and 10th in offensive rebound percentage with a 35.9 clip. The frontcourt duo of Reid Travis and PJ Washington is going to be huge factor against Florida, which
The Wildcats are 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 meetings with Florida.
Betting on the Florida Gators (11-8 Overall / 3-3 Conference)
Florida seems addicted to the long ball. In fact, the Gators are 33rd in the nation win 3-point attempts per game with 26.5. They knock down an average of 9.3 triples per game, but by now, they should know that the three-ball is not always going to save them. At the same time, finding their stroke from deep could be their best chance of beating Kentucky, which has the advantage in the paint. That’s not to say, though, that Florida’s defense won’t be a key factor. The school has one of the best defenses in the nation, ranking ninth overall with just 61.5 points allowed per game. The Gators limited the TCU Horned Frogs to just a 36.0 percent shooting last weekend, albeit in a 55-50 road loss. It was just unfortunate for the Gators to not see their offense click when they were playing sound defense. They went just 19-for-62 from the floor for an ugly 30.6 field goal shooting percentage. KenPom has Florida’s defenses eighth with only 88.8 points allowed per 100 possessions to opponents.
The Gators are 5-1 ATS in their last six games as the home team against Florida.
Writer’s Prediction
Kentucky wins, 77-67.
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