The Butler Bulldogs are back in the Elite 8 again and they'll try to advance even further in the NCAA Tournament Saturday when they take on the Florida Gators.
The Bulldogs - surprise finalists a year ago - were a 4.5-point underdog in their Sweet 16 matchup with Wisconsin, but came away with a 61-54 upset win. Florida was a 2-point favorite in their 83-74 win over BYU in the Sweet 16. The Gators are a 3-point favorite in Saturday's matchup.
View Butler vs Florida Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks had the Gators installed as 3-point favorites in this particular matchup - see the latest point spread at play the Elite Eight Bracket Contest at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Gators at No. 7 and the Bulldogs at No. 38 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 77-76 result in favor of the Gators.
How They Match Up:
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and Florida has the nation's No. 80-rated offensive output, at 72.1 PPG. The visiting Bulldogs defense ranks No. 69 allowing on average 64.3 PPG. The Gators FG% has averaged 46.5% so far, more than the Bulldogs marksmen have achieved on the year, 44.5% per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Butler owns the country's No. 42-rated mark, allowing 65.1 points per game on the highway. Florida, on the other hand, rates No. 136 in scoring at home.
Butler won its last outing, a 61-54 result against Wisconsin on March 24. They covered in that game as a 4.5-point underdog. The Bulldogs got a 20-point performance from Matt Howard, who added 12 rebounds, as Butler ran past Wisconsin 61-54 on Thursday at New Orleans Arena.
In their last action, Florida was an 83-74 Sportsbook against BYU. They covered the 2–point spread as favorites.
Butler Bulldogs Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 8-2
After playing Wisconsin are 1-0
After a win are 10-0
Florida Gators Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 3-5
After a win are 8-2
A few Bulldogs at Gators trends to consider:
Florida is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Florida's last 11 games
