(All odds as of Friday evening via VegasInsider.com)
Florida @ Ole Miss
2:00 p.m. ET ESPN2
Opening Spread: -2
Current Spread: -3
Projected Spread: -5.5
Mike White’s Florida Gators sit squarely on the bubble entering Saturday’s contest against Ole Miss. Wednesday night’s second half effort against Georgia — outscoring the Bulldogs 55-34 — showed there is still life in this squad. When these two teams met on January 14th in Gainesville, the Gators defeated the Rebels 71-55, shooting 54% and holding the Rebels to 40% from the field.
The Gators led by as many as 23 in the second half, but a late Ole Miss run kept the contest closer than the box score suggested. The Gators are the hungrier, more desperate team and Saturday’s performance will keep them in the at-large conversation.
Play: Florida -3 (up to -5)
Bonus Plays:
St. Mary’s +6 vs. Gonzaga
The ‘Zags have cruised to a 24-1 record and are once again looking like a lock for a top seed come Selection Sunday, but they haven’t been flawless in the process. If the Gaels can steal this one at home, it almost all but secures them an at-large bid. ‘Gimme the prime time home dog in this one.
Kansas -9 @ TCU
TCU is coming off a double digit loss to Big 12 bottom feeder Oklahoma State Wednesday night. The Jayhawks suffocating defense will have no trouble making the trip to Forth Worth. The Horned Frogs will be lucky to get to 60 on Saturday. Jayhawks roll.
USC +4 @ Arizona State
The Trojans fought hard in Thursday’s loss at Arizona and playing back to back road games in the PAC 12 is never easy, but Onyeka Okongwu and Nick Rakocevic will be too much for the ASU front-line to handle Saturday night. Remy Martin, Alonzo Verge, and Rob Edwards can be neutralized by USC guards Jonah Matthews, Elijah Weaver, and Ethan Anderson. I have the Trojans projected as a favorite on a neutral court, and while playing in front of the curtain of distraction can be a bugaboo, implying home court advantage is worth 4+ points is just too much.