Super Tuesday in college basketball will see the No. 7 Florida Gators travel to take on the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats tonight. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff and will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds have Kentucky favored by 9 points with the total sitting at 142 points for the contest.
Free Analysis: A bigtime SEC battle between two Top 10 teams in Florida and Kentucky should be quality television tonight. Both teams can score a lot of points and Kentucky is regarded by many to be the easy pick for best team in America. They're young, but they're really good. But then again, that might mean they have the most pressure on them during this game. The Wildcats have a 15-game winning streak and have won 48 in a row at home, the longest such streak in the country. Florida enters tonight having won seven games in a row including tough wins at Mississippi State and Vandy. Currently, five Wildcats average in double figures, including freshman phenom Anthony Davis. They are also a dominant defensive team, allowing just three teams to score more than 65 points against them this season. Florida has their sights set on becoming the fourth team — and pulling off a huge upset. "There's no pressure on us, going into Rupp, just playing our game," Florida guard Kenny Boynton said. "We've just got to go there with a winning mind-set. Everything else will take care of itself." The Gators are one of the better scoring teams in the country, averaging more than 80 points per game. Boynton is a huge part of that, coming in at just less than 18 points per contest at the point guard position. Kentucky brings a huge front line and a lot of athleticism to the floor. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague are both bigtime athletes that can score. Don't forget about sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb, either. This team can flat out play. Davis leads the team in scoring and rebounding, and is the best shot-blocker in the country with 116 blocks this season, passing Shaquille O'Neal's mark from way back in 1990. Kentucky would like to play a physical game and beat Florida up inside, taking advantage of Davis' length and size. Florida, on the other hand, will look to press the ball and hit 3-pointers. Boynton and fellow guard Erving Walker have combined for 52 assists and 18 turnovers during the team's winning streak. Florida leads the country in 3-pointers this season, which could pose a problem for Kentucky. In the Wildcat's closest games of the season, which include a one-point win over North Carolina and a one-point loss at Indiana, Kentucky gave up a combined 20 3-pointers. Kentucky probably won't want to let Florida tee it up from downtown all that often tonight. The Wildcats are a very good home team, winning all 14 of their games while Florida struggles on the road, losing four of their six games. In a battle of two top teams in what could be a slugfest or high-scoring affair, points SHOULD be at a premium tonight. With Florida getting nine points, it seems like they are a pretty good option here.
Free Pick: I'm going to take Florida and the points, especially with some books still holding on to +10. No, Billy Donovan's team hasn't been the best away from home this season, but they are playing extremely well right now and pose some problems for Kentucky. As noted above, teams that can shoot the 3-pointer and connect regularly from downtown cause Kentucky problems. Florida leads the country in triples, so we know what they will be looking to do tonight. I'm not saying Kentucky is going down outright, but I'll take the five possessions with the Gators.
Betting Strategies - College Basketball Home Court Value
Host Vegas Runner and Pregame Pro Bryan Leonard discuss that not all home courts created equal and every conference has different values.