Florida Atlantic Owls at Florida Gators
Tuesday, 11/23/10, 7:00 PM EDT, TV: ESPN Full Court
Opening Point Spread: Florida -17
Current Betting Line: Florida -17.5
Opening Total: 143
Current Total: 143
Florida Atlantic is looking to pick up its first win against a ranked opponent since beating No. 11 Oklahoma State on December 1, 1998, dropping seven in a row to Top 25 competition by an average of 34.8 points. The Owls are opening the season with a daunting schedule that includes eight of their first nine games on the road, which may be taking its toll, after losing a 82-72 home game to American on Saturday. The two teams have met two previous times on the hardcourt, with the Gators winning both previous meetings. Florida Atlantic assistant coach Matt McCall won two national championships while at Florida as Director of Basketball Operations, while guards Greg Gantt and Dennis Mavin will return to their hometown tonight in Gainesville. The team is 7-3 ATS as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points the last three years and the college basketball lines page has them falling in that category.
The Owls were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll, gaining one first place vote and looking up at only Western Kentucky. Florida Atlantic finished with a 14-16 overall mark during the 2009-10 campaign, including a 10-8 conference mark. The program has high hopes for the 2010-11 season due to welcoming back 10 letterwinners from last season and the entire coaching staff for a third consecutive year. Head coach Mike Jarvis is also one of only eight coaches to win 100 games at three different Division I schools, with stops at Boston University, George Washington and St. John’s.
Florida has dominated tonight’s opponent and has compiled a 9-1 record against Sun Belt Conference competition under head coach Billy Donovan. The Gators last played an opponent form the conference on December 22, 2009, when they lost to South Alabama, 67-66. Before that loss, Florida had won 12 straight against Sun Belt opponents. The team is coming off an unimpressive 61-55 win on Sunday over Morehead State and knows its ripe for an upset tonight with that kind of effort. “If you give them a glimmer of hope that they can get back into the game in the first four or five minutes of the second half, you are going to create a level of energy for that team,” said Donovan. The squad is 3-0 ATS as a home favorite of 15.5 to 18 points.
The Gators have posted a dominating 40-4 record in the month of November the last six years, including a 46-2 home mark in the Donovan era. Florida has a chance of gaining a huge win in this game due to leading the SEC in shooting at 51.9 percent and rank third in the conference by scoring 79.5 points per game. The offense did post season lows in points and shooting percentage in its last game and hit just 5 of 19 attempts from 3-point range. Six Gators are currently hitting 50 percent from the floor or better.
Bettors will be interested in knowing that the Owls are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games versus winning competition, while the Gators are 0-5 ATS in their last five non-conference games.
The college basketball handicappers at Maddux Sports are off to a flying start and ready to deliver today!
