Florida vs. Cincinnati Pick
Can No. 5 Florida find a way past No. 17 Cincinnati when the two meet up today in the Never Forget Tribute Classic at 6PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Cincinnati is the slight favorite in this game, as the Bearcats are getting odds of -1.5 points against Florida. The over/under total has been set at 146.5 points. Today’s game takes place from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will air live on ESPN2.
Cincinnati is coming off its first loss of the season, an 89-76 defeat at Xavier. The Bearcats are now 7-1 on the season while posting a 3-3 record against the spread. Cincy has failed to cover in its last two games. Cincinnati is holding opponents to just 61.2 points per contest while scoring 86.4 on their own. Gary Clark is leading Cincinnati with 13.8 points and 8 rebounds per game while Jacob Evans is adding 13.1 points and 4 assists per contest.
Florida is in a real funk right now, dropping three straight games. The most recent loss was 65-59 to Loyola-Chicago on Wednesday. The Gators are now 5-3 overall while posting a 4-4 record against the spread. Florida’s offense is struggling lately despite the Gators averaging 90.2 points per game on the season. Defensively, Florida is allowing 79 points per game. Jalen Hudson is putting up 19.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game to lead the Gators while Egor Koulechov is adding 15.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest.
These two have no recent meetings to consider for today’s game. Cincinnati has been good against the spread following a loss, going 6-2 in their last eight. Florida is just 1-4 ATS in their last five Saturday games while Cincinnati is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 on Saturday. The public betting is slightly with Florida, but I think the Gators’ lack of a consistent defense will be a problem today against a good defensive team in Cincinnati.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: CINCINNATI -1.5