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The Florida vs. Kentucky betting line has the Wildcats as a -2.5 home favorite in this highly anticipated rivalry. Place your 1st bet at Sportsbook.com and get your 2nd bet FREE.
Sportsbook.ag Line: Kentucky -2.5
Undefeated in SEC play and winners of 16 straight, No. 3 Florida will face its toughest conference test as it travels to Lexington Saturday night to face No. 14 Kentucky.
Despite their SU success on the hardwood this season, the Gators are only 9-9-2 ATS with a 3-3-1 ATS mark on the road. Billy Donovan’s squad is 5-6 ATS against SEC opponents, coming off a 67-58 victory (SU and ATS) victory against Tennessee on Tuesday as two-point favorites. Florida is also just 2-4 ATS coming off an ATS win. Kentucky has won four in a row SU (3-1 ATS in that span), improving its season-long mark to 11-11 ATS. That includes an 8-4 ATS record at home (14-0 SU) and 6-5 ATS against SEC opponents. The Wildcats have covered in their past three games at Rupp Arena, have dominated this series recently with a 10-3 SU (6-6-1 ATS) in the past 13 matchups with the Gators, with Florida's last win at Rupp Arena coming back in 2007.
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Florida’s offensive numbers don’t jump off the page with 71.2 PPG (181st in Div. I) on 46.1% shooting (85th in nation) with 13.0 APG (164th in Div. I). The Gators are much more frightening on the other end of the floor, where they keep opponents to 57.9 PPG (6th in Div. I) on 39.3% shooting (20th in nation). After SF Casey Prather (15.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG), two guards lead the team in scoring in PG Scottie Wilbekin (13.0 PPG, 3.7 APG) and SG Michael Frazier II (12.6 PPG). Those three players went a combined 4-of-15 from the field in last season's loss at Kentucky, turning it over four times and recording only two assists. Frazier has been aggressive lately though, hitting at least three treys in the team’s past seven games. C Patric Young (10.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG) is the team’s main big man, combining down low with Prather, PF Dorian Finney-Smith (9.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG) and SF Will Yeguete (5.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG) to create a nasty defensive unit.
Once again, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has assembled a strong group of freshmen. This year’s team ranks 34th nationally with 78.8 PPG on 46.8% shooting (60th in nation), helped out greatly by pulling down 41.9 RPG (7th in Div. I). Notably, the Wildcats average only 12.0 APG (242nd in Div. I). On the other end of the floor, they are just as prepared as the next group, giving up 66.3 PPG (74th in nation). PF Julius Randle (15.8 PPG, 9.9 PPG) is the team’s top player, a future top NBA Draft Pick, who has a nice feel for the ball. Three other freshmen round out the team’s double-digit scorers in SF James Young (14.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG), SG Aaron Harrison (13.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG) and PG Andrew Harrison (11.0 PPG, 3.5 APG). The quartet struggles a bit with turnovers, however, combining for 8.9 per game together. The unheralded key for this year’s team is C Willie Cauley-Stein (7.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG), who helps this team dominate on the glass and on the defensive end with 3.0 BPG.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
