A couple of programs that have won multiple titles over the last two decades will play in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. UConn vs Florida will pit the two-time defending national champions against a program that won two titles in a row during the 2000s. In this game, Florida is expected to have the upper hand as the number-one seed in the West Region, but UConn’s championship experience is not to be overlooked.
Going into this matchup, college basketball odds have Florida as 10.5-point favorites. The total for this contest from Raleigh, NC has been set at 151.5 points. Our best bet for this matchup between Big East and SEC opponents can be found below, along with our keys to this game for both teams participating.
Can UConn Stay Alive In Title Defense?
The UConn Huskies held off the Oklahoma Sooners to advance to the second round of March Madness. UConn certainly didn’t look as dominant in that win over Oklahoma as they did in their march to their second straight championship in last year’s tournament. But the toughness of this year’s UConn team cannot be questioned and that toughness will be needed if the Huskies are going to topple the top seed in their region.
Getting some reliable three-point shooting in this game will be of vital importance for UConn’s hopes of pulling off an upset. Liam McNeeley and Alex Karaban were especially dreadful from three-point range against Oklahoma. If they can’t get some shots to fall against Florida, we could see a new champion in college basketball with UConn heading home before the Sweet 16.
Florida Aiming For Sweet 16 Return
The Florida Gators have not been to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament since 2017. After beating up on Norfolk State in the first round of the tournament on Friday, they are favorites to win in round two in order to advance to the round of 16. In order to do that, the Gators are going to need to be solid defensively.
While Florida won by 26 points against 16-seed Norfolk State, the Gators were not as good on defense as one would have expected. Florida allowed the most points of any one-seed in the opening round of the tournament. They will have to tighten things up here if they want to beat a higher caliber of opponent in this matchup.
UConn vs Florida Prediction
UConn +10.5 (-110) over Florida
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- Florida struggled on defense against Norfolk State at times and UConn could stay in this game with their offense.
- UConn’s championship experience leads us to believe they won’t go down without a fight.
