North Florida vs Florida prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball
12/21/2024 12:49 AM
It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a North Florida-Florida prediction and pick. Find out how to watch North Florida Florida.
The Florida Gators have become a wrecking ball this college basketball season. They are a surprising 11-0 and have answered every challenge which has come their way. One of the bigger, tougher challenges came earlier this week. The Gators, playing in Charlotte, faced a partisan North Carolina crowd and a Tar Heel team which urgently needed a win to rescue its so-so season. North Carolina needed that game a lot more than Florida did, and when UNC overcame a 17-point deficit to take an 81-77 lead heading toward the home stretch, it seemed that Florida’s unbeaten run was about to end. However, Florida showed what it is made of. The Gators grabbed key rebounds in the final minutes and showed the tenacity they are becoming known for. Florida refused to allow the game to slip away. The Gators, going up against a desperate opponent, showed their hunger runs very deep. They outfought Carolina in one crunch-time possession after another and dug out a gutsy win.
Florida has several wins over power conference opponents this season. The UNC win is stacked together with wins over Florida State, Virginia, Arizona State, and Wake Forest. Florida has played a few cupcakes, but a lot of top teams have played far easier schedules than the Gators have. Florida is firmly positioned in the top 10 and is one of three unbeaten teams in a loaded SEC. The Gators have a great chance to become a high seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The heart of the SEC season isn’t that far away, so the Gators want to be able to maintain good habits and stay on the right track.
Here are the North Florida-Florida College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: North Florida-Florida Odds
North Florida: +23.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +2000
Florida: -23.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -8000
Over: 170.5 (-110)
Under: 170.5 (-110)
How to Watch North Florida vs Florida
Time: 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
TV: SEC Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why North Florida Will Cover The Spread/Win
This is one of those games in which you know one team is obviously vastly better, but the other team — the underdog — is getting a huge spread and might be in position to cover it. Winning games are what coaches and players necessarily focus on. Bettors focus on who will cover. In this case, North Florida is in the better position to cover. First of all, this is a pre-Christmas game. Florida players who have done so much hard work this season, and who competed so rigorously to make that late rally against North Carolina earlier this week, are likely physically and mentally exhausted. The Gators are unlikely to play with maximum energy in this game. It just seems like a spot in which you’re not going to see Florida at its very best.
North Florida loves to shoot 3-pointers. If the Ospreys make a reasonable percentage of those triples, they will accumulate enough points to prevent Florida fro getting a huge scoreboard advantage. Florida might lead by eight or nine points at the half. The Gators will do enough to win the game with a modest working margin, but they won’t blow the doors off.
Why Florida Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Gators are really good. They are better than most people thought they were. They have skilled scoring guards, tough rebounders, a winning mentality, and good on-court cohesion under coach Todd Golden. They work well as a collective but have the individual quality to really separate themselves from inferior opponents such as North Florida.
Final North Florida-Florida Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to North Florida, but Florida is so good this season that we’ll pass on this one.
Final North Florida-Florida Prediction & Pick: North Florida +23.5
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