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Florida and LSU face off in an SEC rivalry showdown Wednesday night in Baton Rouge. LSU leads the all time series 61-45, but Florida has won 7 of the last 10 matchups head to head.
Florida is coming off a 71-53 win at Alabama on Saturday. Last Saturday (2/9) they lost 73-61 to Tennessee on the road, and on Wednesday (2/13) they beat Vanderbilt 66-57 at home.
LSU is coming off an 83-79 win at Georgia on Saturday. Last Saturday (2/9) they beat Auburn 83-78, and on Tuesday (2/12) they beat #5 Kentucky on the road 73-71.
On the season, Florida is 10-15 ATS, 5-6 ATS on the road, and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games. On the season LSU is 14-10-1 ATS, 7-8 ATS at home, and 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
BetOnline has the LSU Tigers as 6 point favourites with an O/U total of 140.
LSU Tigers
(21-4 overall, 13-2 at home, 11-1 in conference)
LSU averages 82.9 PPG, 37.8 RPG, 13.6 APG, 9.6 SPG, 4.6 BPG, and 13.8 TPG. As a team they shoot 47.2% from the field, 76.5% from the free throw line, and 32.6% from 3 point range. Defensively they hold teams to 73.5 PPG, 33.0 RPG, 44.1% shooting from the field, and 34.5% shooting from 3 point range.
Tremont Waters leads the way for the Tigers with 15.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.0 APG and 3.1 SPG while shooting 43.9% from the field, 80.2% from the free throw line, and 33.6% from 3 point range. Freshman big man Naz Reid contributes 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG while shooting 49.4/74.5/37.1. Skylar Mays puts up 13.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG and 2.0 SPG. Javonte Smart (10.4 PPG/3.2 RPG/2.3 APG/1.2 SPG), Emmitt Williams (7.9 PPG/5.6 RPG/0.6 BPG/63.3% from the field), Kavell Bigby-Williams (7.7 PPG/6.0 RPG/2.0 BPG/69.7% from the field) and Marlon Taylor (7.0 PPG/3.6 RPG/0.7 SPG) are big contributors as well.
Key Injuries
NONE
Florida Gators
(14-11 overall, 4-7 on the road, 6-6 in conference)
Florida averages 68.4 PPG, 34.0 RPG, 12.6 APG, 7.6 SPG, 4.2 BPG, and 11.9 TPG. As a team they shoot 41.9% from the field, 70.4% from the free throw line, and 34.0% from 3 point range. Defensively they hold teams to 63.1 PPG, 34.9 RPG, 41.7% shooting from the field, and 31.4% shooting from 3 point range.
They are led by guard KeVaughn Allen who averages 12.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.4 SPG while shooting 40.5% from the field, 88.9% from the free throw line, and 34.3% from 3 point range. Noah Locke chips in 10.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 0.6 APG while shooting 38.9/73.5/40.6. Andrew Nembhard contributes 7.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.3 SPG. Keyontae Johnson (7.4 PPG/6.0 RPG/1.1 SPG), Kevarrius Hayes (7.0 PPG/6.0 RPG/1.1 SPG/2.0 BPG), Jalen Hudson (6.8 PPG/2.4 RPG/0.6 SPG) and Deaundrae Ballard (5.4 PPG/1.9 RPG/0.5 SPG) play big minutes as well.
Key Injuries
NONE
Predictions
There is a clear hierarchy in the SEC this season, with Tennessee, Kentucky, and LSU clearly on another level than everyone, while the majority of the remainders beat up on each other aside from bottom dwellers Vanderbilt, Mizzou, and Georgia. Florida is rolling in on the heels of unflattering losses to Kentucky, Auburn, and Tennessee along with unimpressive wins over Vanderbilt and Alabama.
LSU on the other hand has turned things around since their lone conference loss to Arkansas, a game where Arkansas shot the absolute lights out of the gym, with wins over Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky, and Georgia. The thing is, LSU hasn’t been dominating the lower tier teams like they should, using 2nd half surges and clutch play to escape with wins. LSU also sees Tennessee looming on Saturday, their lone roadblock on the way to controlling their own destiny to the #1 spot in the SEC. Florida wins on the defensive end, with a lack of volume scorers to keep pace on the scoreboard unless they shoot lights out.
LSU is just on another tier offensively, and you should expect them to continue to build momentum rolling in to Saturday’s headline matchup.
Final Pick: #13 LSU Tigers (-6)
