Betting tips for the SEC matchup between Florida and LSU

Both the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers might find themselves in the NCAA Tournament this spring. But nothing is guaranteed, especially for this Florida group, which has to take advantage of an opportunity to take a step toward solidifying their position.

These SEC teams will tangle on Wednesday night, beginning at 9 PM ET. The site is the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, with ESPN2 providing the live telecast. And those customers of BetAnySports are lucky in that they can watch the game and place wagers while it's happening, as they access what is available through Sports Betting Ultra.

LSU comes into this game with a record of 19-8 (12-15 against the spread), and they have been a team of streaks. In fact, they had won ten games in a row - including the initial meeting with the Gators - then lost four of five, before upending a streaking South Carolina squad 86-80 on Saturday.

Florida is 17-10 straight-up and 11-16 against the number. So they certainly haven't out-performed expectations. They do, however, have nice wins over the likes of Xavier, Providence, Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn. On Saturday, they were beaten 65-59 by Kentucky.

What this game presents is an interesting clash in styles, as we are going to explore. And that's the kind of thing that is going to play a role in the outcome.

In the NCAA basketball betting odds that have been posted at BetAnySports, the Gators are laying points:

Florida Gators -5
LSU Tigers     +5

Over 147.5 points -110
Under 147.5 points -110

And remember that you can beat the -110 with reduced juice at BetAnySports. Check it out!

In that previous meeting (January 21), the Bayou Bengals came away with an 84-82 victory, in a game that was a little more slow-paced until the latter stages. Over the last ten minutes, there were 55 points scored. Both teams exhibited a lot of balance - Florida had two players with 16 points and two others with 15. LSU had six players in double figures. Marlon Taylor came off the bench to grab eleven rebounds for Florida.

Taylor certainly provides something valuable off the pines, but by and large, LSU doesn't work with a lot of depth. And all five starters are very effective. Darius Days may be the guy who sticks out the most on offense, from the standpoint that he is 15th in the nation in Offensive Rating. In the big win against South Carolina - something this team sorely needed - he had 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Florida can do some work on the offensive boards, and that might be a concern for LSU, which allowed 20 offensive rebounds to the Gamecocks on Saturday. Kayontae Johnson has scored 24 and 19 points in his last two games. Kerry Blackshear, the Virginia Tech transfer, is one of the best in the nation at getting to the free throw line, and he's very accurate (80%, and 21 of 22 from the stripe in the last four games). The problem is that he often gets in foul trouble himself.

Does LSU lack something on defense? They have given up 86 points a game over their last six. If they are particularly vulnerable, it may be from the arc, where they've surrendered 35%.

But the Tigers have a size edge, and that manifests itself in their ability to (a) shoot from inside the arc, and (b) pull down offensive rebounds (fifth in nation). They also don't leave a lot of points on the table at the free throw line (77.3%). So these things present a real challenge to Florida.

The Gators may look to bring down the pace of this game; they are 303rd in the nation in Adjusted Tempo, and that's no accident. Sure, LSU is probably better when they can play faster, but their rebounding ability on offense gives them a fighting chance in the half-court. Were willing to take the points.

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