No. 7 Florida Gators at No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats
Tuesday, 2/7/12, 7:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Kentucky -10
Current Betting Line: Kentucky -9
Opening Total: 142
Current Total: 142
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Florida is certainly going to have its hands full when taking on the Kentucky Wildcats inside Rupp Arena, posting a 3-12 record on the road in this series under the direction of current head coach Billy Donovan. The Gators are still confident in being able to compete in having five players averaging in double figures. “There’s no pressure on us, going into Rupp, just playing our game,” commented Gators guard Kenny Boynton. He leads the team in scoring 17.6 points per game. Florida is 15-9 ATS on the road the past two-plus seasons, while the “over” is 13-11 in that situation.
The Gators lead the Southeastern Conference and rank ninth nationally in scoring 80.1 points per game, while leading all schools in hitting 241 3-point shots. Florida’s offense is directed by point guard Erving Walker, who leads the SEC with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio and 5.1 assists per game. Boynton and Walker have combined for 52 assists and 18 turnovers during the team’s current seven-game win streak.
Kentucky also has five players averaging double-figures in scoring and comes off a dominating 86-52 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks as 11.5-point road favorites. The Wildcats are led by the play of freshman center Anthony Davis, who is scoring 13.9 points per game, while leading the country in blocking 4.8 shots a contest. “He’s great at it,” commented Donovan of Davis’ shot-blocking ability. The program is off to its best start in conference play since the 2005 squad won its first 10 SEC affairs. Kentucky is 9-14 ATS on the year and the “under” is 15-7 in those contests.
The Wildcats have faced the Gators seven times as the top-ranked team, winning each of those contests, with the last one coming in 1996. Kentucky is a dominating 65-2 when playing at home when labeled the No. 1 team in the country. Defense has been the name of the game recently, holding its last four opponents to 52 points or fewer, which has resulted in leading the SEC in scoring defense. The Wildcat own the nation’s longest home-winning streak at 48 games.
Bettors will likely back the Gators due to their 8-1 ATS mark on the road after playing three or more consecutive home games, while the Wildcats are 4-9-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
Don’t miss out on a winning season and let the college basketball handicappers at Maddux Sports line your pockets with cash. Long term packages are available now!
