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The No. 5 Florida Gators (13-0) and No. 11 Kentucky Wildcats (11-2) face off in the SEC opener for both teams Saturday. Tip-off from Rupp Arena in Lexington is set for 11 a.m. ET (ESPN). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the Florida vs. Kentucky odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Florida stayed undefeated with a dominant 85-45 win over the Stetson Hatters Sunday. The Gators covered as 38.5-point home favorites and the Under (160) hit. A big difference was the Gators outscoring the Hatters 52-26 in the paint. Florida G Alijah Martin scored a game-high 18 points with 4 steals, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.
Kentucky earned its fourth win in the last 5 games, defeating Brown 88-54 Tuesday. The Wildcats covered as 25-point home favorites and the Under (154) hit as the defense stifled Brown, forcing 23 turnovers. F Andrew Carr’s 14 points led a balanced attack as 4 Wildcats scored in double figures.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
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Florida at Kentucky odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated Friday at 11:48 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Florida +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Kentucky -155 (bet $155 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Florida +3.5 (-115) | Kentucky -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 167.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Florida at Kentucky picks and predictions
Prediction
Florida 89, Kentucky 81
Moneyline
BET FLORIDA (+125).
Winning on the road in conference play is never easy, but Florida is the better team here. The Gators are undefeated and have covered the spread in 8 straight games. They’ve proven themselves against tough non-conference teams like Arizona State, Florida State, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest and Wichita State.
Kentucky has talent but is in a transitional phase under new coach Mark Pope after John Calipari’s departure for Arkansas. The Wildcats are only 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games and struggle defensively, giving up 71.3 points per game (ranking 184th per NCAA.com). Meanwhile, Florida’s defense is rock solid, allowing just 63.5 PPG (24th).
Even more impressive for the Gators is that they dominate the boards, leading the country with 45.7 RPG. With their size, experience and ability to win inside and out, Florida is the more complete team. Getting the Gators at plus-money here is a great value.
Against the spread
PASS … unless you’re more comfortable taking the 3.5 points with Florida. If so, I’d suggest at least putting a little bit on the +125 moneyline where you don’t wager more than 1½ units between the 2 bets — moneyline and spread.
Over/Under
BET OVER 167.5 (-105).
The Over has hit in the last 4 matchups between these teams, and it makes sense. Kentucky’s defense isn’t great, but it can light it up on offense, averaging 89.0 PPG to rank third in the country.
Meanwhile, Florida ranks ninth in scoring at 87.4 PPG. With two top-10 offenses going head-to-head, this should be a high-scoring game that easily hits the Over.
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