The Florida Gators are all set for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but are still awaiting their first-round opponent. Florida is as No. 6 seed and will be favored to open March Madness but has to figure out whether it will be playing either the St. Bonaventure Bonnies or the UCLA Bruins.
UCLA is a slight favorite to knock off the Bonnies in a First Four game, so Florida would figure to be a smaller favorite against the Bruins. Either way, the Gators will be ready to go and will have the advantage of being more rested than their opponent.
Florida has the talent to make a deep March Madness run but is also inconsistent. Either of these teams would be formidable foes, as the seeding wouldn’t necessarily belie the competitiveness assumed in this matchup in NCAA basketball betting odds.
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Odds Analysis
St. Bonaventure is 24-7 straight up and has covered in half of its 30 games with a spread this year. The Bonnies have gone just 1-4 against the spread at a neutral site heading into their matchup against UCLA. St. Bonaventure has covered in half of its eight games as the underdog.
UCLA is 21-11 straight up and 15-16-1 against the spread. The Bruins have gone 3-3 against the spread on neutral courts. UCLA has covered in five of 11 tries as the underdog.
Florida is 20-12 straight up and 16-16 against the spread. The Gators have covered in half of their six neutral court games as well. Florida is 12-14 against the spread as the favorite.
Key Stat
7. That’s the number of losses the Gators have suffered in their past 13 games, and they are hoping that slow end to the regular season won’t negatively affect them in March Madness. Florida’s lull began with three losses in four games, dropping contests to South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama with a win over Baylor squeezed in.
The Gators did bounce back to win two straight but then went on a three-game losing streak. Florida has won three of four heading into March Madness, including a victory over a ranked Auburn squad. The Gators were knocked off by Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, but did beat Kentucky to wrap up the regular season.
Player To Watch
Jalen Hudson — Florida’s junior guard -- like the rest of the Gators -- will be looking to shake off a sluggish performance against Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The team’s leading scorer finished just 2-of-9 from the field and 0-2 from the line as Florida 80-72 to the Razorbacks.
Hudson had been on a hot steak until that game, scoring 23 points against Kentucky and 27 against Alabama in the two previous games. He is averaging 15.3 points per game and shooting 45.5 percent from the field this season.
Florida has some other top players but will rely on Hudson to really lead the way.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Much depends on which team gets to the first round game, as UCLA definitely has the talent to give Florida a scare. But either way, the Gators have a lot of big-game experience and should be able to capture this contest.
The first round is dotted with upsets but Florida will be one team to hold on for a win. However, if the spread against either St. Bonaventure or the Bruins is too high, the Gators could have trouble covering the spread in March Madness basketball betting lines.
NCAA Odds: Florida 71, UCLA 67
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