It Could Be Scary, But Take This Play For Florida/Bama

Florida vs. Alabama, 7:00 ET

Whenever these two teams get together, in this exact order, I always think of that failed MTV Series Florida-bama Shore. It was such a stupid name and they tried to force it on people because of the success of the Jersey Shore series. What does that have to do with College Basketball? I guess not much, but I will tell you I am forcing nothing on this game between Florida/Bama. I have something locked in and think this will be the game of the night not only to watch, but for us to bet on.

Florida has been surprisingly dominant most of this season. I suppose a lot of things have been surprising about the Gators who entered this season as an unranked team, and have vaulted themselves up to fifth in the nation. Their resume carries a ton of impressive wins and they are currently 25-4 for the season with a really strong 12-4 conference record. Who have the Gators beaten that makes them so impressive? The two that stand out the most to me is that they absolutely embarrassed a good Tennessee team in Florida when they hosted them. And, most recently, they went into Auburn and won the game on Auburn's home floor. You could make the argument that victory was the best win of any team this college season. Auburn was/is the best team in the country and to beat them as the road team is not something that should be taken lightly. They have had some slips over the course of the year. Last week, they dropped a game to Georgia that made little sense. They also have lost at home to Missouri in a game that they probably should've won. The other two losses were on the road against Kentucky and Tennessee. The Volunteers got their revenge and kind of embarrassed the Gators, certainly Florida's worst loss in terms of margin of the season, but that was also expected. 

Jan 4, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) handles the ball during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Alabama has to be fairly frustrated coming into this game. We bet that game on Saturday, against Tennessee, and if you read my article, and acted quickly, you might've gotten the opening line. If you didn't you would've lost the bet. I marked it as a loss for us on my tracker as I think most people got closer to the closing number than the opening one. Anyway, if you watched the game, it was arguably one of the dumbest displays of defense I've ever seen. Tennessee inbounded the ball with about four seconds left and Alabama just allowed them to dribble up the court and right into a wide open three-pointer. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. They didn't even try to guard the guy with the ball. It can be a bit of a scramble, but this was inexcusable. Does that mean that Alabama comes out here and plays staunch defense? Probably not. They are a good team, but defense doesn't seem to be their strong suit. I expect them to be competitive, but this is a brutal stretch of basketball and it could be catching up with them. This will be their sixth of seven straight games against ranked SEC opponents. 

This is going to be a fun game to watch, but I am not confident in who will win. Florida has shown that they can win on the road. Alabama is capable of beating virtually anyone. Frankly, I'd be a bit surprised to see the Gators win it, but I think they could win or cover it. Instead, I think this total is the way to go. It is at 178.5 which means both teams need to score somewhere near 90 points. I think it is too high. Both are capable, and Alabama alone averages 91 points per game, but I think you're likely to see a bit more defense than the books are expecting. Take the under. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024