No. 13 Florida Gators at Vanderbilt Commodores
Tuesday, 2/28/12, 9:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Vanderbilt -3.5
Current Betting Line: Vanderbilt -3.5
Opening Total: 142.5
Current Total: 141
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Florida will look to bounce back from a 76-62 defeat to the Georgia Bulldogs as 7.5-point road favorites, while the team has alternated going “over” and “under” the total in its last six games. The Gators have won four straight games in this series, including all three meetings during the 2010-11 season. Head coach Billy Donovan has enjoyed great success against Vanderbilt, posting a 22-11 record since arriving in Gainesville. Offensively, the team is incredibly balanced, with all five starters averaging at least 9.9 points per game. Florida is 12-12 ATS on the year and the “over” is 15-9 in those games.
The Gators lead the nation in averaging 10.1 three-point makes per game, hitting 10 or more from beyond the arc in 19 games this season. Florida managed to shoot just 5-of-23 from the 3-point area in its last contest. Donovan has put together quite a program, winning 20 or more games in each of the past 14 seasons. The squad ranks second in the SEC and 22nd nationally in scoring 77.7 points per game. The Gators have been great from the charity stripe during Southeastern Conference play, hitting 76.0 percent of their free-throw attempts.
Vanderbilt had its own three-game win streak snapped in a 83-74 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats as 11.5-point road underdogs. The Commodores have lost four consecutive games in this series, while posting a 1-3 ATS mark over that span. Senior forward Jeffery Taylor is certainly one of the players to watch offensively, scoring 19 points last time out, while averaging 20.3 points in his last three games against the Gators. There’s no doubt that junior guard John Jenkins will be in the fold, coming in as the conference’s leading scorer. Vanderbilt is 8-10 ATS as a favorite this year.
The Commodores have struggled recently versus the Gators, but they’ve still managed to win three of the last five meetings inside Tuesday night’s venue. Vanderbilt has plenty of experience among the starting five, combining for 421 career starts. It’s important to note that this program is 1-6 against ranked competition this year, with the only win coming over the Marquette Golden Eagles on December 29. In order to pull off a victory inside Memorial Gym, the team will have to do a better job on the perimeter, allowing the Gators to go 22 of 45 from beyond the arc in the last two meetings.
Bettors will likely back the Gators due to their 5-2 ATS mark in Vanderbilt, while the Commodores are 4-13 ATS at home.
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