Florida vs. LSU Prediction
With all the distractions off the court, can No. 9 LSU avoid being upset by Florida when the two meet up today at 1PM ET in the SEC Tournament?
815 Florida vs. 816 LSU
Friday, March 15, 2019
1PM ET – Bridgestone Arena
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, LSU is the slight favorite in this game, as the Tigers are getting odds of -3 points against Florida. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 135.5 points. The public betting currently has 79 percent going on LSU as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Gators roll past Arkansas
Florida picked up a 66-50 win over Arkansas yesterday to snap a three-game losing streak. The Gators are the 8 seed this weekend. Florida is 18-14 on the season, 10-9 in SEC games, 4-2 on a neutral floor, 14-18 against the spread and 22-10 with the under.
The Gators have one of the top defenses in the country, allowing just 63.3 points per game while holding opponents to 42 percent shooting. Offensively, Florida is putting up 68.2 points per game while shooting just 42.2 percent as a team. KeVaughn Allen is leading the team with 12.1 points per game while Noah Locke is adding 9.9 points per contest.
LSU playing without their coach
LSU is the top seed in the SEC Tournament, but they are currently without head coach Will Wade, who is suspended while the school investigates potential recruiting violations by him. The Tigers still have won and covered the spread in five straight coming in. LSU is 26-5 on the season, 16-2 in SEC play, 2-2 on a neutral floor, 19-11-1 against the spread and 18-12 with the over.
The Tigers are a strong offensive team, averaging 81.6 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field. Defensively, LSU is giving up 72.9 points per game while opponents shoot 43.5 percent against them. Naz Reid is questionable to play today due to a facial injury while Ja’vonte Smart was just cleared to play despite the ongoing investigation on his recruitment. Those two combine for 24.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Tremont Waters is leading the team with 15.3 points and 5.9 assists per game.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Florida
The Gators are 4-1 against the spread in their last five neutral-site games and 4-1 ATS in their last five against a winning team.
LSU
The Tigers are 19-7-2 ATS in their last 28 SEC games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against winning teams.
Prediction:
The road team won both meetings in overtime this season. These two have been very evenly matched, with the scoring being higher than Florida would typically allow. I don’t see LSU being able to score as much in today’s meeting due to the investigation and potential injuries. Florida should be able to continue to score against this LSU defense while its defense has more of an impact. I will take the Gators with the points.
College Basketball Prediction: Florida +3