[gambcom-standard rankid=”4141″ ]
The Jacksonville Dolphins (1-0) meet the Florida Gators (1-0) in a Thursday tussle in Gainesville. Tip-off from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center will be at 8 p.m. ET (SEC Network). Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s college basketball odds around the Jacksonville vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
Jacksonville opened with a Monday victory over Trinity Baptist (National Christian College Athletic Association DII). The Dolphins won 78-65, leveraging a big rebounding edge (47-26) and winning by double digits in the unlined contest on home hardwood.
Florida, which is No. 21 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, also opened Monday. The Gators covered as 11.5-point favorites in a 98-85 win over South Florida. G Walter Clayton Jr. (29 points) and G Will Richard (25) combined for 54 points in the opening-night triumph for a UF team that went 24-12 last season.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Jacksonville at Florida odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of college basketball odds. Lines last updated Wednesday at 9:06 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Jacksonville +1600 (bet $100 to win $1,600) | Florida -4500 (bet $4,500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Jacksonville +20.5 (-110) | Florida -20.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 152.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”4132″ ]
Jacksonville at Florida picks and predictions
Prediction
Florida 85, Jacksonville 65
Moneyline
Lots of juice; little interest. PASS.
Against the spread
Jacksonville, which is coached by former Florida assistant Jordan Mincy, brings a veteran squad to Gainesville. Transfer talent brought in by Mincy focused on some hidden but key attributes like rebounding, ability to get to the line and defense.
UF looks to be overrated a bit in being in the top 25, and the Gators certainly had issues in their season opener. In that Monday contest, Florida trailed 40-39 at halftime and only had a 1-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Peg the DOLPHINS +20.5 (-110) as being worth a partial-unit play on Thursday.
Over/Under
Both teams struggled from distance Monday. Jacksonville hit just 6 of 32 shots from 3-point range (18.8%); Florida hit 5 of 26 (19.2%).
It’s reasonable to expect more bench minutes for heavily-favored Florida if the Gators can act accordingly.
Look for this one to land close to the number but come up just shy. TAKE THE UNDER 152.5 (-110).
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
[gambcom-standard rankid=”6305″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / Recruiting / Transfer portal / College Football Playoffs / College Sports Wire / High School
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]