— Saturday, February 12th Florida Gators @ Kentucky Wildcats
The No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats (20-4, 9-2) put their five-game win streak on the line as they host SEC rival Florida on Saturday. The Gators (16-8, 6-5) are finally healthy and have won four in a row to get back into NCAA Tournament contention. Tip off at Rupp Arena in Lexington is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.
This will be the first of two meetings between the Wildcats and Gators this season. Kentucky leads the all-time series 105-41 with a 53-11 record in Lexington. Florida did win in Lexington last season, their first victory at Rupp since 2018.
Castleton Back For Florida
Florida is 12-12 ATS this season, and the under is 13-10-1 in their 24 games. They are 5-5 away from home on the season and just 2-4 in true road games.
The Gators are 0-5 against ranked teams this season, with four of those losses coming to SEC opponents in January. They knocked off Ohio State in November before the Buckeyes were ranked.
During their win streak, the Gators have knocked off Oklahoma State, Missouri, Ole Miss, and Georgia. They will get chances at building their resume down the stretch with games against Texas A&M, Auburn, Arkansas, and the return game against UK still on the docket.
Colin Castleton returned to the lineup last Saturday after missing nearly a month of action. He had 17 points against Ole Miss and 13 against Georgia. The senior leads the Gators with 15.4 ppg and 8.9 rpg this season while reaching double figures in 17 of 18 games played.
Tyree Appleby averages 10.8 ppg, while Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (10.4) is also in double figures. Guard Myreon Jones made seven 3-pointers in the win over Georgia, finishing with a season-high 23 points.
Tshiebwe Leads Wildcats
The Wildcats are 11-13 ATS this season, and the total is 12-12 in their 24 games. They are 14-0 at Rupp Arena but haven’t covered the spread in their last two home games.
Kentucky is 2-3 against ranked teams, with the losses coming to Duke, LSU, and Auburn. Since the Auburn loss on January 22, they are 5-0, including an 18-point win at Kansas. Kentucky finishes the month with games against Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas as they battle for a SEC title.
In the win over South Carolina on Tuesday, Kentucky put six players in double figures. Oscar Tshiebwe had another double double while Davion Mintz hit three 3-pointers off the bench.
Tshiebwe leads Kentucky with 15.9 ppg this season, and he leads the nation with 15.1 rpg. The center is shooting 60% from the field and blocks 1.5 shots per game.
TyTy Washington averages 12.9 ppg while Kellan Grady (12.0) and Keion Brooks Jr. (11.6) are also in double figures. Sahvir Wheeler leads the team with 7.2 apg to go with 81% free throw shooting.
Betting Analysis
- Florida Gators +9.5 (-110)
- Kentucky Wildcats -9.5 (-110)
- Total Points: 140.5. Over -110. Under -110.
Kentucky has a habit of getting wins, but letting teams back into games. That happened last game at South Carolina as they missed the cover by ½ point and also at home against Vanderbilt as they won by just seven. With Castleton back, the Gators can keep this one close, though UK gets the win.
Betting Pick: Gators +9.5 (-110)
For more NCAAB betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.