The No. 2 Auburn Tigers (24-2, 12-1 SEC) visit O’Connell Center Saturday to take on the Florida Gators (16-10, 6-7). Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Auburn vs. Florida odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Auburn is 18-8 against the spread (ATS) this season but just 1-3 ATS over its last 4 outings. The Tigers have gotten back to their winning ways in their last 2 games, defeating Texas A&M 75-58 and Vanderbilt 94-80.
Led by F Jabari Smith, projected to be a top-3 pick in the next NBA Draft, Auburn is a heavy favorite Saturday despite being on the road.
Florida is 12-14 ATS this season, including 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games. The Gators are on a 2-game straight-up skid, falling 78-57 at now-No. 3 Kentucky Feb. 12 and 56-55 at Texas A&M Tuesday.
The Gators are led by 6-foot-11 F Colin Castleton, who is averaging 15.5 points per game.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Auburn at Florida odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:02 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Auburn -180 (bet $180 to win $100) | Florida +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
- Against the spread: Auburn -3.5 (-112) | Florida +3.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 139.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Auburn at Florida odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Auburn 73, Florida 65
Money line
PASS.
Auburn is 7-1 straight up on the road and could’ve easily also lost at Georgia too – the Tigers won 74-72 in Athens Feb. 5. With Florida 11-3 at home, the expensive line (-180) for the higher-ranked Tigers is far too much to take.
Against the spread
BET AUBURN -3.5 (-112).
The Tigers beat Florida handily the first time around, cruising to a 12-point victory (85-73) and cover as 8-point favorites. They were able to do that despite getting just 13 points from Smith.
Also, while Florida has an impressive home record, it hasn’t played many elite teams, losing to both LSU and Alabama by 13 or more. Similarly, Auburn’s recent road losses make this playable as, without them, it could have been a double-figure spread.
Auburn is also a conference-best 9-3-1 ATS in SEC games. Florida is just 4-9 ATS in conference battles. Despite their recent struggles, I’d still side with the Tigers here.
Over/Under
LEAN to the UNDER 139.5 (-112).
Florida struggles to score, averaging just 70.0 points per game, but what it does best is defend. The Gators’ 9-4 Under record in SEC games is tops in the league.
Considering Auburn’s offensive prowess and the result of its last meeting, this total will get a nice boost. Also, Auburn shot 44% from 3 in the team teams’ last meeting.
If the Tigers regress to the mean and the Gators continue how they have played all season, expect fewer points.
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