The Florida Gators tumbled down the national rankings with a pair of recent losses but are intent on showing they belong among the nation’s elite. They won’t convince anybody with a win over the Oklahoma Sooners but at least it can help get them back on track.
Florida will look to shake off a recent mini-losing streak with a convincing win. Oklahoma had a shocking win over a ranked West Virginia team a few weeks ago and would love to pull off another upset against a big-time opponent.
Oklahoma has the home court advantage but will still be the underdog in this matchup.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 28, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Florida is 15-5 straight up and 11-8 against the spread. The Gators have played five road games and have covered in three of them. Florida is 11-4 against the spread as the favorite on the season, which is what it will be in this one. The Gators have yet to cover in four games as the underdog.
Oklahoma is 8-11 straight up and 9-7-1 against the spread. The Sooners have played in seven home games and have covered in three of them. Oklahoma has been much better as an underdog this season, going 6-2-1 when getting points.
Matchup to Watch
Jordan Woodard and the Oklahoma offense against Florida’s tough defense. The Gators are only giving up 66.8 points per game right now so it will be a big test for the Sooners who have gone 2-8 in the last ten games.
Behind Woodard, the Sooners offense is putting up 77.1 points per game. Despite their struggles, Oklahoma has put up 80 points or more in five straight games coming into this contest. The problem has been on the other side of the floor.
Florida held LSU to 71 points in a win on Wednesday and has held 11 opponents to under 70 on the season. The Gators defense has been a strongpoint and will be key if the team hopes to finish the season off on a high note.
Key Stat
106. That’s how many points Florida dropped on LSU in their victory on Wednesday. The performance was a season-high for the team and while the win was an expected one against a Tigers team that’s been struggling this season, the blowout was a nice rebound after the Gators dropped two in a row last week.
Florida also set a school record with the victory as well, making 19 three-pointers. Florida fell 57-54 to No. 24 South Carolina on January 18th and then lost another close one to unranked Vanderbilt on January 21st, combining for just 119 points in the losses.
The Gators offense is averaging 78.4 points a game this season behind KeVaughn Allen, Canyon Barry and Devin Robinson who combine for 38.2 points a game. Robinson led the effort against LSU, scoring 24 points in the win.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Every game Florida has lost this season has been close, which gives reason to believe it is better than the record would suggest. The Gators were going to be the favorite in this matchup no matter what, but the way they play could help decide whether a cover will happen or not.
Florida wants to get off to a hot start so Oklahoma’s belief doesn’t gain. The Sooners are mostly young and might not believe they can win this game unless they are close at the half.
While going on the road is never easy, the Gators have enough firepower to take care of business relatively easily in this matchup.
College Basketball Odds: Florida 82, Oklahoma 74
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