The Florida Gators aren’t exactly peaking at the right time right now, as the squad suffered a late-season slide and got bounced from the SEC tournament early as a result. The fourth-seeded Gators do battle with the 13th-seeded East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the Sportsbook round of the NCAA tournament, where sportsbooks opened Florida as 11.5-point chalk with a total of 143.5.
- The total has gone OVER in five of Florida's last seven games in March.
- Florida is 27-3 SU and 22-8 ATS in its last 30 games as favorite.
- East Tennessee State is 3-1 ATS in its last four games against the Southeastern.
Florida features a balanced offense which finished fourth in the SEC in scoring (78.9 points per game) and a defense that ranked 14th nationally against the 3-point shot (30.7 percent).
This is East Tennessee State’s first appearance in the tournament since 2010, and the Buccaneers are coming in red-hot this time around after winning nine of their last 10. The Buccaneers are one of the best shooting teams in the country, ranking 10th from the field (49.1 percent) while averaging 79.9 points per game.
Florida has a penchant for going OVER totals in March. In the Gators’ last five games in the month, the OVER is 5-2.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs Florida Gators Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers will try to spoil to the party and cover the point spread on Thursday; they are 17-13-1 ATS against the betting line this season, while the Florida Gators are 18-13 ATS. East Tennessee State Buccaneers are 16-15 on betting the total; Florida Gators are 14-17.
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Florida Gators rated this week at No. 19 and the East Tennessee State Buccaneers sitting at No. 31.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
East Tennessee State got 23 points from T.J. Cromer en route to a 79-74 victory over UNC Greensboro on Monday at U.S. Cellular Center.
Florida suffered a 72-62 loss against Vanderbilt on Friday, getting 16 points from KeVaughn Allen in a losing effort at Bridgestone Arena.
