Florida basketball vs. Vanderbilt TV info, odds, preview, prediction
The Gators host Vanderbilt in their second-to-last home game of the season. The Commodores took Game 1, but Florida has a chance to split the two-game series with a win in the O’Dome tonight.
With four regular season games remaining, the Florida Gators (17-10, 8-6 SEC) and the Vanderbilt Commodores (16-11, 8-6 SEC) are involved in a two-way tie for fifth place in the Southeastern Conference standings — one game behind a trio of second-place teams (South Carolina, No. 21 Texas A&M and LSU) and one game ahead of three other teams in a tie for seventh (Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgia).
It’s a pivotal game for two teams competing for a higher league tournament seeding as well as an NCAA tournament berth.
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For Florida, tonight’s matchup with Vandy marks the third of five conference rematches this season. The Gators fell to the Commodores 60-59 on Jan. 26 in Nashville in a game where UF shot a paltry 21 percent from the field and scored just 19 points in the first half.
In the previous meeting, Vanderbilt guard Wade Baldwin IV totaled 24 points and four assists, with seven-foot center Damian Jones contributing 20 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
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Meanwhile, UF guards KeVaughn Allen and Kasey Hill led the Gators with 16 points apiece — with Allen scoring 11 of those 16 points in the final 32 seconds to make the score look a lot more reasonable. But frankly, it was a game that the Commodores comfortably controlled for 39 minutes, locking down Florida and building a lead up to as many as 14 points in the second half.
Vandy has the advantage in the all-time series against the Gators 66-63, but Florida boasts a decisive 40-18 margin in meetings in the O’Dome — including four consecutive wins at home.
UF posts a 12-2 record in home games this season, but lost their last outing to Alabama on Feb. 13.
Game information
Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Time: 7 PM ET
Location: Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, Florida
TV: SEC Network
Livestream: WatchESPN
Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network
Spread: Florida (-3)
Over/Under: 137.5
The Gators may not have been able to pull off the road win against the Gamecocks on Saturday, but they showed resiliency and made it competitive after trailing by 17 points in the first half. But, because of the offensive inconsistencies, that kind of fight is mandatory if Florida is to compete in games down the stretch — especially on the road.
UF is home tonight, but that doesn’t necessarily mean shots are going to fall at will. Just look at the Alabama loss, where the Gators shot a pitiful 28.6 percent from the floor, 3-for-21 from beyond the arc and 16-of-27 from the charity stripe.
On Saturday, Florida — the second best offensive rebounding team in the SEC (13.6 per game) — managed to go on the road and out-rebound the league leader in rebounding margin and offensive boards in South Carolina. In this contest, however, the Gators will be battling for boards against a Commodores’ team that tops the conference in defensive rebounds (29.5 per game).
Vanderbilt — a team traditionally notorious for its efficient offense in head coach Kevin Stallings’ tenure — is the toughest team in the league to score on with their defensive field goal percentage of .380 (sixth-best nationally); credit its impressive size and strength. Additionally, the Commodores defend the three-ball at a whopping 28.6 percent (ranked No. 3 in the nation) and allows an average of just 5.4 threes per game (12th nationally).
For a Florida team that already lacks offense at times, it could be a long night if Vandy drops the anchor down defensively.
Prediction
The first meeting between these two teams was a snoozer offensively. Neither the Gators nor the ‘Dores lit up the scoreboard, despite Vandy shooting over 40 percent from the field.
Expect a similar result in tonight’s rematch in Gainesville as two of the SEC’s best defensive teams square off for the second time this season.
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Aside from the loss to the Crimson Tide, Florida has soundly defended its own floor this season — and its done so behind better shooting and a more fluid offense altogether when playing in front of the Rowdy Reptiles.
Tonight, the Gators will notch another win in the O’Dome and improve to 13-2 at home.