ESPN Analytics predicts outcome of Kentucky-Florida showdown in Gainesville
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ESPN Analytics apparently doesn’t care that Kentucky is ranked now, that the Wildcats are showing life or that UK’s rivalry with Florida runs deep in SEC basketball lore.
The ESPN BPI crunched the numbers on Saturday afternoon’s Valentine’s Day showdown at the O’Connell Center and determined that the Gators have a great shot to keep their own roll going in front of a national TV audience. No. 14 Florida, which just dismantled Georgia on the road by 20 points on Wednesday night, was given a hearty 79.5% chance to take care of business against No. 25 Kentucky in a showdown that will tip off at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
Since that home loss to Auburn, the Gators have surged to the top of the SEC standings with 4 straight victories and come into the Kentucky game at 9-2 in the league. Florida is 18-6 overall now, too, with its midseason surge reminding the college basketball world that it’s still the defending national champion and has serious designs on defending its title in April.
Meanwhile, Kentucky has recovered from those early season doldrums under Mark Pope, roaring back to beat Tennessee at home last Saturday after trailing by 14 points at halftime. The 74-71 victory at a rocking Rupp Arena was the Wildcats’ 8th victory in their past 9 games, improving Kentucky to 8-3 in the SEC and 17-7 overall.
So, Saturday’s battle between old SEC basketball rivals will go a long way toward determining the league’s regular-season title, with UF 1 game ahead of UK going into the showdown. Both programs are surging at just the right time as mid-February hits, but only 1 team will emerge with another victory.
Kentucky will have had the whole week off since that comeback against the Volunteers last weekend, but apparently ESPN’s BPI doesn’t care about that either as it believes Florida has a great shot to hold serve at home.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
