The No. 9-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (17-3) visit Florida to take on the Gators (13-7) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. The game begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Gators lost a close one to Vanderbilt 60-59 on Tuesday. KeVaughn Allen finished with 16 points to lead the team. The Mountaineers are coming off a 70-55 win against Kansas State on Tuesday. Jonathan Holton played well, recording 14 points and 11 rebounds to claim his sixth double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Dorian Finney-Smith has been playing at a high level for the Gators, averaging 18.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 three-pointers.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Florida ranks 14th in the nation in defensive efficiency (93.0), while West Virginia is second (89.0).
The Gators come into this game 13-7 Straight Up (SU) and 11-6-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Florida’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game. Florida will look to take advantage of the Mountaineers and their propensity to foul. West Virginia ranks 347th in the nation in fouls, averaging 24.2 per game.
On the other side, West Virginia has a SU record of 17-3 and an ATS record of 11-6. West Virginia is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, making 19.0 shots from the line per game. West Virginia is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in Division I. The Mountaineers average 16.7 offensive rebounds per game, making them the second-best team in the country for that category. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Mountaineers, who are third in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 90 this season. They average 10.8 steals per game, good for tops in the nation.
Florida and West Virginia have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – Fla, ATS Winner – Fla
Notes
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Florida’s last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida’s last 5 games at home.
Ranked 14th, the Florida Gators have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 93.0 points per 100 possessions. The West Virginia Mountaineers rank 48th in offense, scoring 113.2 points in the same number of possessions.
Florida has an average field goal percentage of 42.2%. West Virginia is a dazzling 9-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Florida attempts 22.0 three pointers and West Virginia attempts 18.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Florida Gators sit at 10-5 and the West Virginia Mountaineers are 7-1.
Florida, the 72nd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.5 per game. West Virginia does worse, ranked 285th with 2.5.
Florida is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 15th. West Virginia ranks just 284th in defensive rebounds.
The West Virginia Mountaineers make an average of 10.8 steals per game, ranked first in the nation. When the Florida Gators allow 10 or more steals, they are undefeated (2-0).
