The Ole Miss Rebels will be at Stephen C. O’Connell Center to take on the Florida Gators in a Southeastern matchup. The game begins at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
The Gators are hoping for a better outcome after their 80-61 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. Dorian Finney-Smith finished with 24 points to lead the team. The Rebels, meanwhile, are coming off an 85-78 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. Rasheed Brooks played well for Ole Miss, recording 15 points, nine rebounds, and three steals.
Over the last five games, Finney-Smith has taken his game to another level for the Gators, averaging 21.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.6 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Gators won the first game 80-71. KeVaughn Allen was a top performer in the victory with 27 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and six three-pointers.
The Gators enter the game with records of 15-8 Straight Up (SU) and 13-8-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Florida in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.4 offensive boards per game. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Gators. The 66.4 points that Florida’s defense allows per game makes them the 48th-ranked defense in the country. Florida’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Gators allow a .397 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
Across the court, the Rebels have 15-8 SU and 12-10 ATS records. The Rebels are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 414 free throws made ranks 39th in Division I. The Rebels are a force on the offensive glass, grabbing an average of 13.0 offensive rebounds per game.
Following the Gators’ latest win over Ole Miss, their SU record is now 7-3 over Ole Miss in their most recent games. With an 8-2 record, the Rebels have the advantage ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Fla, ATS Winner – Fla
Notes
Ole Miss scores an average of just 75.6 points per game (ranked 104th). Florida ranks 48th in points allowed, giving up 66.4 points per game.
Florida lost its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Ole Miss is 1-1. Florida is 7-1 in blowouts this season.
With 69.2 possessions and 1.074 points per possession, the Florida Gators perform worse on both metrics than the Ole Miss Rebels. Ole Miss averages 69.9 possessions and 1.082 points per possession.
Ole Miss has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.4%. Florida is an even 4-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Florida, the 84th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Ole Miss does worse, ranked 197th with 3.2.
Florida ranks 28th in offensive rebounding. Ole Miss ranks 203rd in defensive rebounding.
The Florida Gators make an average of 6.8 steals per game. When the Ole Miss Rebels allow 6 or more steals, they are an outstanding 10-3.
