Under the leadership of third-year head coach Todd Golden, the Florida Gators have become a hot College Basketball lines property. Early in the season, Golden was thought to be facing a firing squad over sexual harassment allegations. But with his threats of defamation suits, Golden’s seat cooled off. More importantly, the Gators are winning and have cracked the national Top 10. On Saturday, the Gators will visit the Kentucky Wildcats and 1st-year head coach Mark Pope, who replaced John Calipari. Pope is a former Kentucky player who gets the culture and the pressure of running a blueblood power.
Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, January 4, 2025, 11 a.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Betting Online Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
The Florida Gators are 12-0 straight up, 9-3 against the spread, and 5-7 over/under the Online betting total. Late on, Florida has covered eight out of their last nine games. At the same time, the Gators have gone under the total in four of its previous six matchups. Concurrently, Florida is beginning its SEC portion of the schedule. Florida will contend with such teams as the Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Kentucky Wildcats for the SEC title.
Florida has CBB metrics of 8th for scoring offense, 103rd for field goal percentage, 166th for 3-point field goal percentage, 122nd for free throw percentage, and 1st for offensive rebounding.
In comparison, the Gators’ CBB metrics rank them 42nd for scoring defense, 12th for field goal percentage permitted, 19th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 97th for defensive rebounding.
First among Florida scorers is Walter Clayton Jr., with 17.6 points per game. Alijah Martin adds 14.9 points per contest. Will Richard is averaging 14.0 points per game. Alex Condon is averaging 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
Late on, Florida had wins over North Carolina and North Florida, which moved them to 12-0 on the season. The first of the two was a scary outing against the Tar Heels in the Jumpman Invitational. The Gators trailed 79-82 but ended the game on an 11-2 run to close it out and take down the Tar Heels 90-84.
Kentucky Wildcats Team Overview
The Kentucky Wildcats are 10-2 straight up, 5-6-1 against the spread, and 7-5 over/under the College basketball lines total. Late on, Kentucky has covered one out of their last seven games. In contrast, the Wildcats have gone under the total in three of their previous five matchups. Concurrently, Kentucky is rated as one of the top contenders in the SEC.
Kentucky’s CBB metrics rank it first for scoring offense, 61st for field goal percentage, 115th for 3-point field goal percentage, 117th for free throw percentage, and 13th for offensive rebounding.
In comparison on defense, the Wildcats have CBB metrics of 222nd for scoring defense, 68th for field goal percentage permitted, 13th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 283rd for defensive rebounding.
First among Kentucky scorers is Otega Oweh, with 16.2 points per game. Lamont Butler is adding 14.0 points per contest. Jaxson Robinson is averaging 12.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per tilt. In contrast, Koby Brea brings 11.8 points per matchup.
Florida at Kentucky SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Florida will offer more value as the quality road team that is facing a very public brand that is consistently overpriced.
Florida at Kentucky SBG Best Bet: Florida Gators