Florida State and Florida are set for another rivalry matchup on the hardwood when they square off at Exactech Arena in Gainesivlle. We continue our college basketball odds series with a Florida State-Florida prediction, pick, and how to watch.

The Seminoles are off to a 2-0 start in Leonard Hamilton's 22nd season with the program. Florida State has defeated both opponents – Kennesaw State and Central Michigan – by the same score of 94-67.

As for the Gators, they rebounded from a 73-70 loss to Virginia by notching an 89-68 win over Florida A&M. Florida secured a 46-31 advantage on the glass, which included racking up 21 offensive rebounds for the second straight game.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Florida State-Florida Odds

Florida State: +8.5 (-102)

Florida: -8.5 (-120)

Over: 156.5 (-115)

Under: 156.5 (-105)

How to Watch Florida State vs. Florida

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

TV: SEC Network

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Florida State Will Cover The Spread

Once again, Hamilton has a roster that's built on length and athleticism.

Per Ken Pomeroy, the Seminoles are the tallest team in college basketball for the fourth time in the past five seasons. Now, the Gators can come close to matching it with 6-10 Tyrese Samuel and 7-1 Micah Handlogten in the frontcourt, but it's the overall size on the perimeter that could play a role as well.

In the scoring department, Florida State has six players averaging double figures. The Seminoles are getting 36.7 of their points from beyond the arc while shooting 37.7 percent (77th). Florida is 270th in 3-point defense (36.8%), so there are points to be had for Darin Green Jr. (17.0 PPG, 7 3-pointers) and others.

Another statistical trend: Florida is shooting just 61.3 percent (299th) from the free throw line, and leaving those points on the table could be key in Florida State taking advantage and covering the spread.

Why Florida Will Cover The Spread

Again, it goes back to the offensive rebounds. Sure, the Gators are struggling from the charity stripe, but they're making up for it with all the extra opportunities.

Florida is fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (48.2%), and having Samuel and Handlogten against a big team like Florida State is a nice boost on both sides of the court.

There's also a significant development in the backcourt for the Gators. Zyon Pullin, a transfer point guard from UC Riverside, is officially eligible to return to action after being suspended for the first three games due to playing in the non-NCAA-sanctioned Portsmouth Invitational back in April. Pullin was undoubtedly the missing piece in Florida's loss to Virginia, as the Gators committed 16 turnovers in the game.

The ball-handling should improve, and that should open up better offensive looks for Riley Kugel (15.0 PPG), Will Richard (13.0 PPG), and Walter Clayton Jr. (12.0 PPG) in the backcourt.

That's important against a Florida State bunch that has forced 38 turnovers (25th) in two games.

Final Florida State-Florida Prediction & Pick

These are two teams that want to play fast. Both rank in the top 45 nationally in average offensive possession length (per KenPom), so there's high-scoring potential in this matchup.

The Gators have won back-to-back games in the series and seem to be trending upward after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. Kugel is a star, and Pullin's return should only help his stock even more since he won't have to handle the ball as much.

However, there may be more value from a betting standpoint with the Seminoles.

Final Florida State-Florida Prediction & Pick: Florida State +8.5 (-102)