Colorado Buffaloes vs Florida Gators Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/22/2024

Game Time: 4:30 pm ET, Friday, March 22, 2024

Venue:  Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN 

Where to Watch:  TBS, MAX

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Colorado +2, Florida -2; Over/Under:  159 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Colorado +2, Florida -2; Over/Under:  159 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Colorado +1.5, Florida -1.5; Over/Under:  160.5 points

Colorado Buffaloes:  25-10 (13-7) (3rd place, Pac-12)

Florida Gators:  24-11 (11-7) (6th place, SEC)

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Colorado Buffaloes:  4-1  last 5

Florida Gators:  3-2  last 5

Colorado is entering this game with a 25-10 record overall, a 13-7 record in conference games, and they are 5-2 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Boise State Broncos in their last game. Tristan da Silva led the team in points per game in that game with 20 while KJ Simpson was next on the team with 19. KJ Simpson led the team in assists with 4 in that game while KJ Simpson led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 43.8% from the field, 26.7% from 3-point range, and 93.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 78.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 70.7 PPG against them. Colorado has an ATS record of 18-17 this season and their O/U record is 20-15.

Florida is entering this game with a 24-11 record overall, an 11-7 conference record, and they are 7-3 in their neutral site games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Auburn Tigers in their last game. Zyon Pullin led the team in points in that game with 15 while Walter Clayton Jr. was next on the team with 13. Walter Clayton Jr. led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Zyon Pullin and Alex Condon each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 36.4% from the field, 7.7% from 3-point range, and 72% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 85.1 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 78.5 PPG against them. Florida has an ATS record of 16-18-1 this season and their O/U record is 22-12-1.

The current betting odds have Colorado listed as a 2 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Colorado has looked good in their games this season with their 25-10 record overall and their 13-7 conference record in the Pac-12 which has them right near the top of their conference. They have also looked good in their neutral site games with their 5-2 record in those and they had to play in the First Four games but won their matchup to earn this spot. Meanwhile, Florida has also looked good in their games this season with their 24-11 record overall and their 11-7 conference record in the SEC which has them in the top half of their conference. They have also looked good in their neutral site games this year with their 7-3 record in those, and they went on a run in their conference tournament. They have looked really good in their games lately as they pulled off some big wins to get to the finals of the SEC Tournament before losing to Auburn, but they also lost a key player in that game against Auburn and will be shorthanded here. Florida could also get off to a slower start since they haven't played in almost a week while Colorado had to earn this spot with a win on Wednesday night and they are going to be ready to go again 2 days later in this game. The best way to place a bet here is on Colorado to cover the spread in this game. 

Colorado Florida Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Friday, March 22, 2024 (4:30 pm ET start time) is Colorado 71 Florida 67.

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Colorado Buffaloes: 7-14 ATS as a neutral court underdog of 3 points or less or pick. 7-20 ATS in a postseason tournament game. 7-12 ATS after scoring 60 points or less. 9-2 UNDER in a neutral court game where the total is 150 to 159.5. 6-1 UNDER when playing on a neutral court. 

Florida Gators: 23-15 ATS as a neutral court favorite of 3 points or less or pick. 12-6 ATS in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 9-5 UNDER after a loss by 10 points or more. 6-2 UNDER after playing a game as an underdog. 

Colorado Buffaloes:  J. Hammond III (G) Out indefinitely - Knee. R. Smith (G) out for season - Leg.

Florida Gators:  A. Szymczyk (F) Out indefinitely - Foot. M. Handlogten (C) out for season - Leg.

“KJ was really positive, which I thought was great because you need that positivity in the NCAA Tournament when you go down four late. And we got five straight stops in a row. Our defense just kind of cranked up a notch.” - Tad Boyle after his team’s win against Boise State in their last game on Thursday which was also one of the First Four games of the NCAA Tournament.

“It ends up being a little bit of a break even because I think we do have a little bit of an advantage because the teams play on Wednesday night. I think we’re at a little bit of a disadvantage because we can’t truly prepare for anybody until, you know, late Wednesday night. You know, it all works itself out at the end of the day.“ - Todd Golden on his team playing against Colorado in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

T. Da Silva 

J. Hadley 

E. Lampkin 

K. Simpson 

C. Williams

W. Clayton 

M. Handlogten 

Z. Pullin 

W. Richard 

T. Samuel

PPG: K. Simpson (19.6)

APG: K. Simpson (4.9)

Reb/G: E. Lampkin Jr. (7.1)

PPG: W. Clayton Jr (17)

APG: Z. Pullin (5)

Reb/G: T. Samuel (7.5)

Coaches:

Colorado Buffaloes: Tad Boyle (13th season)

Florida Gators: Todd Golden (2nd season)