Check out our free Florida vs Alabama pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Tuscaloosa. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Florida vs Alabama Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 8th Betting Odds
Gators vs Crimson Tide Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
- Where: Tuscaloosa at Coleman Coliseum
- Date: Wednesday, February 8th
- Betting Odds: Florida +9, FL +334 | ALA -452 O/U 148.0
Gators Preview:
Through 23 games, the Florida Gators have an overall record of 13-10. On the road, the Gators will be playing their 11th game of the season, having gone 4-7. So far, the Gators have been the underdog 8 times, going 2-6 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +9 underdogs on the spread.
Colin Castleton comes into today’s game as the Gators’ leading scorer at 15.57 points per contest. Not only has Castleton been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Florida’s top rebounder at 7.7 boards per contest. Behind Castleton, the team has benefited from the strong play of Will Richard, who is second on the team in scoring at 10.27 points per game. Overall, he has hit 47.1% of his shots and is adding 4.64 boards per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for Florida this season, as they are currently ranked 212th in college basketball at 70.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Gators’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 30.7%, placing them 437th in the NCAA.
Crimson Tide Preview:
The Alabama Crimson Tide will be looking to pick up their 24th win of the season and are in the middle of a 2 game win streak. Currently, the Crimson Tide have been the home team 13 times, sitting with a record of 12-1. The Crimson Tide’s are sitting with a betting line that is -9 points in their favor. For the season, Alabama has been favored to win in 21 games, sitting with a mark of 18-3.
Alabama will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Brandon Miller who is averaging 18.83 points per game for the Crimson Tide. Miller is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Crimson Tide’s offensive game plan is the play of Mark Sears who has hit 41.2% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 13.7 points per game.
Alabama comes into today’s matchup vs Florida, looking to continue their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 80.0 points per game. Through 23 games, they have hit 44.1% of their field goal attempts. In terms of pace, the Crimson Tide have preferred to slow the game down, ranking 251st in possessions per game.
Free Spread Prediction: Alabama Crimson Tide -9
For this matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Florida Gators, we like Florida to keep the game closer than the oddsmakers are anticipating. Historically, the Gators have held up well vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-1-1 (last 5). The two team’s also play different brands of basketball with Alabama preferring to get up and down the court, while Florida likes to slow the game to a grind. We this favoring the Gators as there will be fewer possessions for Alabama to pull home. Going into the game, we feel good about getting a bet down on the Florida Gators to cover as the +9 point underdogs.
