Florida vs. UConn Prediction & Odds: College Basketball Betting Preview for Dec. 9

The two teams that have won the last three combined national championships meet in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader, which I break down with my Florida vs. UConn prediction. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York City is set for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN).

No. 5 UConn is a 4.5-point betting favorite over No. 18 Florida. But I am backing the Gators even with the MSG crowd heavily in favor of UConn, as I walked away impressed with how Florida handled a raucous environment at Duke.

✅ Florida vs. UConn predictions

🏀 Florida vs. UConn best bet & score prediction

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Florida +4.5 (-105) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have much respect for what UConn has accomplished at Madison Square Garden, a venue it calls “Storrs South.” After the Huskies beat Illinois at MSG on Black Friday, they are now 9-2 in 11 games there under head coach Dan Hurley and carry a five-game regular-season nonconference winning streak in the building.

With all that being said, Florida has the chops to navigate what will feel like a road environment, considering it nearly walked out of Cameron Indoor Stadium with a true road win against Duke in its last game.

Golden can draw on NCAA Tournament experience

This is a rematch of last year’s Round of 32 NCAA Tournament game, which Florida won 77-75. The Gators did a masterful job in that game of clogging up the paint and being physical on UConn’s off-ball cuts. They made the Huskies settle for a whopping 29 3-point attempts, of which they made just eight.

While Florida’s lineup was heavily dominated by guard play last season, this year’s Gators team is much bigger in the frontcourt, and that length should play well in bothering UConn’s jump shooters.

The Gators just held Duke to a season-low 1.03 points per possession on the Blue Devils’ home court and overcame just four total assists by pounding a big Duke team 44-33 on the backboards.

Florida is an outstanding 12-4 ATS against ranked opponents since the start of last season and covered two-thirds of its games as underdogs in that span.

While the point spread is at +4.5 across the market, DraftKings is one of the only best sports betting sites where one can back the underdogs at less than the standard -110 juice. DraftKings’ -105 odds carry a 51.22% implied probability and would net $9.52 in profits on a winning $10 wager.

Score prediction: UConn 73, Florida 71

🆚 Florida vs. UConn matchup to watch

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Alex Karaban vs. Florida's frontcourt

With UConn center Tarris Reed missing back-to-back games and four of the last five, Alex Karaban becomes a vastly important player for UConn to deal with Florida’s mammoth front line. 

Karaban has pulled down at least six rebounds in four consecutive games. 

I understand why he has plus-money odds to secure seven-plus rebounds, as he has done so in just three of nine games. But Haslametrics has this game being played out with an average expectation of 45.5 free-throw attempts combined, which means Karaban could be in line to play 38-plus minutes as he has in games against two other ranked opponents if the rest of his teammates are saddled with foul trouble.

I feature two more player props for Tuesday's slate in my college basketball best bets and player props today.

Best prop bet: Alex Karaban Over 6.5 rebounds (+115 via bet365)

📊 Florida vs. UConn odds

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📺 How to watch Florida vs. UConn

• Date: Tuesday, Dec. 9
• Tipoff: 9 p.m. ET
• Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: ESPN