No. 12 Florida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide
Tuesday, 2/14/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Florida -3
Current Betting Line: Florida -3.5
Opening Total: 131.5
Current Total: 131.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Florida has dropped two straight games that includes a 75-70 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers as 12.5-point home favorites on Saturday. The Gators are just 2-5 on the road this season and many in the locker room are questioning the team’s resolve. “We need to find out if we are men or boys,” stated Gators guard Bradley Beal. The program has won three straight overall meetings in this series, while capturing five regular-season-matchups in a row. Florida is 8-10 ATS in February over the last two-plus seasons.
The Gators have tallied an impressive 58-17 regular-season mark against SEC West opponents since 2000, including a 3-0 record this season. Florida comes into the game with all five usual starters averaging in double figures, with junior guard Kenny Boynton leading the way in scoring 17.5 points per game. Offensively, the team is ranked 16th nationally and leads the SEC in scoring 78.8 points per game, while also pacing college basketball in hitting 258 3-point shots.
Alabama split its recent two-game road trip that ended in a 67-58 loss to the LSU Tigers as 2.5-point underdogs, as head coach Anthony Grant kept four regular starters out of the lineup due to disciplinary reasons. The Crimson Tide have enjoyed great success inside Coleman Coliseum over the last two seasons, posting a 28-2 overall mark, including a 12-1 record in conference games. “I just coach the guys that are available, and I thought these guys competed,” stated Grant about his team’s latest effort. Alabama is 9-11 ATS on the season and the “over” is 12-8 in those contests.
The Crimson Tide’s defense continues to be one of the best in college basketball, allowing just 58.3 points per game, which is 13th nationally. Alabama was also getting great bench play in the four games leading up to their loss to the Tigers, as reserves were averaging 28.2 points per game in that span. Shooting from beyond the arc has been a problem for the roster, hitting just 27.2 percent of its shots from 3-point range before Saturday’s game.
Bettors will likely back the Crimson Tide due to the underdog being 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings, while the Gators are 2-5 ATS versus conference opponents.
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