Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Alabama Crimson Tide are unbeaten in SEC play so far, and they will look to stay that way when they face the Florida Gators on Wednesday night. Florida is squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament according to Joe Lunardi's newest Bracketology, but the Gators picked up a big win at this time last week when they beat the Tennessee Volunteers by double digits. Florida is just 2-8 against Quad 1 teams, and this squad is in desperate need of another win against an elite opponent.

It looks like the Alabama Crimson Tide will be close to a double-digit favorite when they host the Florida Gators on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. This game will be played at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with tip off scheduled for 9 p.m. ET at ESPN2.

Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Prediction

The last time the Alabama Crimson Tide played in Coleman Coliseum was a week ago. They obliterated the Vanderbilt Commodores 101-44 in one of the most lopsided games you'll ever see between conference foes. Vandy went nine minutes in the first half without scoring a single point, and the Crimson Tide went on to cover the spread by 40+ points. Florida will present more of a challenge than its SEC East colleague, but the Gators won't be able to cover the number against a Crimson Tide team that's on a mission.

Score Prediction: Alabama 82, Florida 68
Best Bet: Alabama -9 (-110)

Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Odds

Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Resources

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Coleman Coliseum
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Matchup
Expert Picks

SEC Tournament Odds

Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Stats

Florida Gators
SU: 13-10
ATS: 12-11
O/U: 8-15
PPG: 71.3
OPPG: 64.8

Alabama Crimson Tide
SU: 20-3
ATS: 13-9
O/U: 10-12-1
PPG: 83.1
OPPG: 68.7

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Updated on 04/25/2024

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Florida Gators Betting Analysis

Todd Golden hasn't been much of an improvement over Mike White through most of his first season. White was hired away by the Georgia Bulldogs in the offseason, and many Florida fans were happy to be rid of him. However, Golden is just 13-10 in his first season in Gainesville, and his offense hasn't been as good as it was during his time with the San Francisco Dons.

The Gators lost star Keyontae Johnson to the transfer portal, and that was a big blow. However, Colin Castleton has been very good for the Gators in the low post. Castleton is averaging 15.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG, and he is making 50% of his field goals and over 73% of his free throws. Additionally, he is playing great defense with 3.1 BPG, helping Florida rank 10th in defensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy. Castleton is a big part of why the defense ranks seventh in two-point defense as well.

Will Richard is the second-leading sorer on Florida, averaging 10.3 PPG. Richard is the best three-point shooter on the team, knocking down 41.1% of his triples, while no one else is making over 36% of their threes. Kyle Lofton and Kowacie Reeves are the next leading scorers on Florida, but both guards have had a rough go of it from beyond the arc. Lofton is making just 31.9% of his treys, while Reeves is shooting a paltry 28% from beyond the arc. The good news about their play is that they rarely turn the ball over, allowing Florida to get shots off.

Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Analysis

The fourth year has been great for Nate Oats. That's when Oats led the Buffalo Bulls to a 32-4 record during the 2018-19 campaign, and he has the Alabama Crimson Tide on pace to post a similar mark in his fourth year in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is 20-3 this season with its only losses coming against Connecticut, Gonzaga, and Oklahoma.

Alabama has two potential lottery picks in this summer's NBA Draft in Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney. Miller has been phenomenal and might be the third overall pick behind Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson. Miller is averaging 18.8 PPG and 8.2 RPG, and he is making 45.2% of his field goals while shooting 44.2% from beyond the arc on over 160 attempts. Many NBA teams are envious of his size and touch, and Miller should be a top five pick. As for Clowney, he is averaging 10.0 PPG and 8.3 RPG while making 48.7% of his field goal attempts.

This team is one of the favorites to win it all as its rare to find a squad that ranks first in adjusted tempo and still has a top five defense. Miller and Clowney both do a great job with interior defense, and Mark Sears is one of the best defensive guards in the conference. If Sears or another guard catches fire in March, the Crimson Tide could reign supreme in basketball for the first time as that would give Miller a complementary option.