The quarterfinals of the SEC tournament are on tap as Florida faces Alabama. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Florida-Alabama prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Florida entered the SEC tournament as the sixth seed and would face Georgia in the second round of the tournament. It was a tight game with Georgia holding a slim halftime lead. Florida would come back though, and take the lead. With just over five minutes left, the game would be tied once again, but Florida would hold on, winning 85-80.
Meanwhile, Alabama had the fourth seed in the SEC tournament and would have the double bye. They struggled at the end of the year though, losing three of their last five games. They would fall on the road to Kentucky, and Florida while losing at home to Tennessee. The Tennessee game was the only one within ten points. Alabama and Florida met just that once in the regular season, and Florida won at home 105-87.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Florida-Alabama Odds
Florida: +3.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +146
Alabama: -3.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -178
Over: 173.5 (-110)
Under: 173.5 (-110)
How to Watch Florida vs. Alabama
Time: 9:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM PT
TV: SEC Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Florida Will Cover The Spread/Win
Florida is sitting 28th in KenPom adjusted efficiency ranking this year. They are ranked 17th in adjusted offensive efficiency but sit 86th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Florida sits fifth in the nation in points per game this year while sitting first in field goal attempts per game. Walter Clayton Jr. comes in leading the way on offense. He is shooting 43.1 percent from the field this year, scoring 17.1 points per game this year. He also comes in with 2.6 assists per game this year. Joining him in running the offense is Zyon Pullin. He comes in with 15.5 points per game this year, while also having 5.1 assists per game. Rounding out the top scorers is Tyrese Samuel. He has been solid from the field, shooting 57.0 percent this year, while scoring 13.9 points per game on the year. Further, four of the five leaders in minutes are averaging over ten points per game this year.
Florida is the best in rebounds per game in the nation this year. They are also third in the nation in offensive rebounding rate this year. They also sit 12th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game. Samuel leads the way in rebounding this way. He comes in sitting with 7.8 rebounds per game this year. Micah Handlogten comes in with 7.2 rebounds per game, sitting second on the team. Also, Alex Condon comes in with 6.3 rebounds per game this year.
Florida sits 317th in the nation in opponent points per game this year but sits 75th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Riley Kugel, Tyrese Samuel, and Walter Clayton all come into the game with a steal or more per game. Samuel also adds a block per game, while Alex Condon has 1.2 blocks per game this year.
Why Alabama Will Cover The Spread/Win
Alabama is ranked 12th in the nation in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are ranked second in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency this year but sit 102nd in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. Alabama sits first in the nation in points per game this year, while sitting 11th in the nation in effective field goal percentage and fourth in shooting efficiency. Mark Sears leads the team on offense this year. He has 21.1 points per game, while he is shooting 50.6 percent this year, and 44.1 percent from three-point range. Further, Sears is second on the team in assists with 4.1 per game. Meanwhile, Aaron Estrada is second on the team in points this year, with 13.4 points per game, while he leads the team with 4.5 assists per game this year. Rounding out the top scorers are Grant Nelson and Rylan Griffen. Nelson comes in with 12.0 points per game on the season, while Griffen comes in with 11.1 points per game.
Alabama is 12th in the nation in rebounds per game this year. They are also 20th in the nation in offensive rebounding rate this year, while sitting 226th in defensive rebounding rate. Grant Nelson comes in leading the way in rebounding this year. He has 5.7 rebounds per game this year, while Estrada also has 5.3 rebounds per game this year. Further, two other players come into the game with over four rebounds per game this year.
Alabama is 346th in the nation in opponent points per game this year, but they are 131st in opponent effective field goal percentage. Estrada and Sears lead the way here as well. Sears leads the team with 1.7 steals per game, while Estrada has 1.6 per game. Meanwhile, Grant Nelson has 1.5 blocks per game this year.
Final Florida-Alabama Prediction & Pick
These are two struggling defenses, paired with two of the best offensive teams in the nation. Both are great at rebounding, and both are great at shooting. The last game between these two almost got to the 200-point marker, with so much on the line in this one, that may happen again. The winner of this game will be whatever team is shooting better, and with both being capable of shooting well, the best play is on the total. The prediction for the Florida-Alabama SEC tournament game is a high-scoring scoring back-and-forth affair.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Florida-Alabama Prediction & Pick: Over 173.5 (-110)