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The Florida Gators take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Our college basketball odds series has our Florida Alabama prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Florida Alabama.
The SEC basketball season has one month left before the SEC Tournament. The race for the conference championship is a three-team battle involving the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Tennessee Volunteers. Texas A&M is a bubble team, while Bama and Tennessee are competing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making this a really weird competition in which A&M has a chance to win the league and yet gain an NCAA seeding no higher than No. 7 or No. 8. The prevailing belief among SEC basketball experts is that A&M won't hang with Bama and Tennessee, but that's not something Alabama can or should worry about. The Tide have to take care of business and make sure they win the conference championship, which would help them get a No. 1 seed in March. That path to a top seed goes through the Florida Gators in another SEC clash.
Here are the Florida-Alabama college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
College Basketball Odds: Florida-Alabama Odds
Florida Gators: +9.5 (-110)
Alabama Crimson Tide: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How To Watch Florida vs. Alabama
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Florida-Alabama LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Florida Could Cover The Spread
The Florida Gators have one really big weapon and one great matchup advantage. Florida has Colin Castleton in the paint to give itself a chance to own the glass and protect the rim. Castleton, in his most recent game on Saturday night against Kentucky, dominated the 2022 National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe. Castleton scored 25 points and singlehandedly kept Florida in the game against the Wildcats, all while limiting Tshiebwe to just four points on 2 of 14 shooting from the field. If you can outscore Oscar Tshiebwe by 21 points on the road in Rupp Arena, you're a very special player. That's what Castleton is. He can minimize a lot of Florida's weaknesses and disadvantages. If his Gator supporting cast can make perimeter shots, UF can not only cover, but win outright.
Why Alabama Could Cover The Spread
Even if Colin Castleton wins his matchup in the paint, Alabama has the clear advantage at the other four spots on the floor. Florida's guards and wings were not able to help Castleton beat Kentucky in spite of Castleton's destruction of Tshiebwe. If UF could not beat a bubble-hugging Kentucky team on a night when Castleton dominated his one-on-one matchup, why would it be any different against an Alabama team which is steamrolling toward the SEC title and a possible No. 1 seed in March Madness? Brandon Miller and the rest of the Tide are simply a lot quicker, a lot more skilled, and much better coached. There's not a lot of guesswork involved here. Keep in mind that Florida has a first-year head coach, Todd Golden, who can't be expected to push buttons as well as Nate Oats can. This is a learning experience for Golden; it's a game Alabama should win comfortably.
Final Florida-Alabama Prediction & Pick
Alabama is significantly better than Florida and is playing at home. Also, don't expect Castleton to play at his very best after delivering what was essentially a perfect game against Oscar Tshiebwe. It will be hard for Castleton to play as well. That doesn't help the Gators here. Take Bama.
Final Florida-Alabama Prediction & Pick: Alabama -9.5
