The Kentucky Wildcats aren’t as dominant as they were last year, but they’re still in the mix for an SEC East title. The Florida Gators want a statement win that will catapult them forward. NCAA basketball betting: Kentucky Wildcats @ Florida Gators Why To Bet On Kentucky Super Bowl betting pundits know that it’s wise to trust certain teams in big games until proven otherwise. The New England Patriots were a 14.5-point underdog in Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams, but once the Pats broke through in the big game and transformed their reputation, the oddsmakers made a necessary adjustment. New England was the betting favorite in Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XXXIX, and Super Bowl XLII (a game it wound up losing to the New York Giants). Certain teams demand the benefit of the doubt in big games because they’ve done the deed so many times before. Kentucky is one such team in the realm of college basketball. The Wildcats don’t have the NBA-caliber starting five they possessed last season, but they’re still fairly formidable. Terrence Jones is a jump-out-of-the-building athlete with the fierceness and tenacity that nobody on Florida’s roster (with the possible exception of center Vernon Macklin) owns. It’s true that the SEC season has yet to feature most of the SEC East’s premiere matchups, but ever since coach John Calipari took over at Kentucky, the Wildcats have immediately regained the winning aura that was so noticeably absent during the ill-fated tenure of former coach Billy Gillispie. Florida had its brief two-year run of dominance in 2006 and 2007, but now it’s Kentucky who once again expects to win big games in the SEC East. Florida hopes to win these kinds of games; Kentucky expects to. Why To Bet On Florida The sports betting community realizes that Kentucky will be a very tough out, but it also knows that without Enes Kanter, the Turkish center whom the Wildcats expected to be a part of their roster this season (Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last fall because he accepted money to play for a professional team in Turkey), Kentucky is vulnerable near the rim. The aforementioned Vernon Macklin is the best low-post player on the floor. The transfer from Georgetown is going to be a very valuable asset in this contest for Florida coach Billy Donovan. If the Gators can get Macklin enough touches and don’t use the three-point shot as a crutch, they can outwork and outmaneuver the Wildcats within 10 feet of the basket. The thing to realize about this game is that it’s a manhood-making moment for Florida. The Gators were thoroughly outclassed by Kentucky last season, getting swept in the season series despite making the NCAA Tournament. With a roster of very experienced players, Florida – which was rated in the top 15 to begin the season – has the makings of an upper-tier team. This is a proving ground for the Gators and a time for them to show how tough they can be against a brand-name opponent. Florida will probably show more physicality than it normally does; playing at home, the Gators will display a lot of energy, and that alone will help them compete. How The Game Will Play Out The online betting bottom line is that while Florida will play hard, the Gators still can’t be trusted. Florida doesn’t play smart in these kinds of games. Billy Donovan’s guards, Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, shoot way too many threes early in the shot clock without running solid and sensible halfcourt sets. Florida will be physical and energized in this game, but the Gators have to be prudent as well; they won’t be, and Kentucky will prevail as a result. Take the Wildcats on the road. Kentucky Florida Betting Pick: Kentucky
