Florida vs Alabama Betting Odds See Tide Large Favorites
Pair of High-Scoring Teams Meet in SEC Battle
Two of the higher-scoring teams in college basketball meet tonight, as No. 24 visits No. 13 Alabama. The Gators are averaging 84.8 points per game. The Alabama Crimson Tide is scoring 90.7 points. Though it’s fairly late in the season, this is the first meeting of the year between the two teams.
They play in Florida in two weeks. Alabama is leading the SEC with a 10-2 conference record. The Gators are 8-4 and can’t afford a loss here. The Florida vs Alabama betting numbers have the Crimson Tide favored by 8.5 points. The total on the game is 174.
Gators vs Crimson Tide 
Day/Time:
Location Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Streaming: ESPN 2
Gators Hit Offensive Boards
Florida is 18-7 on the season, but it’s not due to its shooting. The Florida Gators aren’t what you’d call a great shooting team. But they do the other things well. That’s the primary reason Florida is No. 10 in the KenPom offensive efficiency ratings. The Gators are No. 2 in the country at getting offensive rebounds and they don’t turn the ball over much. Those are keys in Florida scoring so many points despite shooting just 45.4% from the field. In Southeastern Conference games, the shooting percentage drops to 43.5%. But the Gators are still scoring 83.5 points per game.
Florida has to count on its offense because the defense is pretty average in SEC play. The Gators are allowing 80.2 points per game on 46.4% shooting. In conference games, the Gators do a poor job of forcing turnovers and they allow 53.1% shooting on 2-pointers. That’s No. 13 in the conference. But Florida is pretty good defending the 3-pointer and does a pretty good job on the boards.
The Gators are 12-12-1 against the point spread this season and 3-2 as an underdog. Florida is 7-5 ATS in SEC games and 6-6-1 against the number away from home. The Gators are 15-10 in totals this season. But Florida does a decent job of slowing down high-scoring teams. The Gators are 11-15 in totals the last three seasons when playing a team that scores more than 77 points per game.
Tide With Top Offense in Nation
The KenPom offensive efficiency ratings have Alabama as the No. 1 offensive team in the country. The Crimson Tide is also No. 1 in SEC play. Alabama shoots an SEC-best 56.2% on 2-pointers and is No. 2 in 3-point shooting. The Crimson Tide also leads the SEC in free throw shooting and is No. 4 in offensive rebounds. About the only negatives you can say about Alabama offensively is it makes too many turnovers and gets shots blocked.
Alabama’s defense is ranked No. 4 in the conference by the KenPom efficiency ratings. The Crimson Tide is No. 2 in 3-point defense and No. 6 in 2-point defense. Alabama does allow some offensive rebounds and sends teams to the foul line a little too much. But the Crimson Tide is pretty solid all-around and allows 778 points per game.
The Tide is 16-8-1 against the spread this NCAAB season. In SEC games, Alabama is 9-3 against the spread. The Tide have been a solid 14-4 ATS as a favorite this season and 12-2 at home. The Crimson Tide have posted an 18-7 totals record this season, which includes a 10-4 mark at home. Alabama is a bit of a public team, but that hasn’t slowed them down against the spread this season. Alabama’s betting odds to win March Madness are +2000, making Alabama one of the favorites.
Who to Bet On?
The Florida vs Alabama betting line of Alabama -8.5 is a bit on the high side. But that hasn’t appeared to stop Alabama in the past. The NCAAB basketball scores show the Crimson Tide haven’t had much trouble covering the bigger numbers so far. But the Gators are a team of better athletes than players and might have better luck matching up with Alabama. How the Gators fare in this one could be dependent on how well they do on the offensive glass.
The total is definitely on the high side in this game. There have only been seven other games that have seen a total of 173 or higher this season. Those games have gone 1-6 in totals. That, coupled with Florida’s ability to slow down higher-scoring teams points to this one landing under the lofty total. So take the under 174 in this game.
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