The Florida Gators and the South Florida Bulls meet Monday in college basketball action from VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Here’s a South Florida vs Florida Prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best South Florida vs Florida pick.
Florida Gators Betting Preview
Last year the Gators posted a pretty strong effort in a competitive Southeastern Conference, going 24-12 with an 11-7 run in SEC games. Florida finished in sixth place among the conference but still got a bid to the national tourney. The Gators would lose to Colorado in the First Round, though.
Head coach Todd Golden will be back on the sideline for his third season with Florida. The good news is that Golden gets three starters back this year so he’ll have plenty of returning chemistry. Notable losses include guard Zyon Pullin (15.5 PPG) and forward Tyrese Samuel (13.9 PPG).
South Florida Bulls Betting Preview
Over on the South Florida side, they posted a 25-8 run last year with a 16-2 record that was good enough for the regular-season AAC championship. The Bulls lost to UAB in the conference tournament though, then fell to VCU in the Second Round of the NIT.
This year USF has a big hurdle to overcome with the death of their head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim on October 24. The team’s two returning starters—including junior Kobe Knox (8.4 PPG)—and the rest of the team will have heavy hearts entering the season.
Why the Florida Gators will win
- South Florida has lost each of its last eight games against the Southeastern Conference.
- Florida has won eight of its last nine night games.
- Florida has won the first half in five of its last six games against non-Conference opponents.
Why the South Florida Bulls will win
- South Florida has won 12 of its last 13 night games.
- South Florida has won the first half in nine of its last 11 games.
Matchup/League Facts
- Florida ranked 2nd among Division 1 teams for field goal attempts per game last season (65.3).
- Florida ranked 4th among Division 1 teams for rebounds per game last season (42.3).
- South Florida ranked 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throw percentage last season (67.1%).
- South Florida ranked 32nd among Division 1 teams for three-point percentage last season (36.7%).
South Florida vs Florida Prediction
I’m going to stick with Florida. I like the Gators to make some noise this year if they can stay healthy and generate early chemistry. Florida’s got plenty of talent on their roster, starting with PG Walter Clayton (17.6 PPG) and new arrival SG Alijah Martin (13.1 PPG). Height-wise Martin isn’t as big as other SEC guards but he makes up for it in power. The Gators should be fun to watch this year if all goes well.
As for USF, they’ve been dealt quite a blow and will likely need some time to get their proverbial bearings on the basketball court. The good news is that the Bulls have plenty of talent and depth to keep them going. I don’t think they’ll quite cover versus Florida, though.