Florida vs Auburn: SEC Tournament Picks & Predictions
Written March 13, 2009 by Jordan Haimowitz
The Florida Gators are 23-9 with a conference record of 10-7. They have a brilliant point guard in Nick Calathes, a high rising forward in Chandler Parsons and senior leader Walter Hodge who’s playing great ball and is the vocal leader of this team. They have tournament experience galore and have a coach who knows what it takes to win big games. Florida has already beaten Auburn this year @ the Tigers home gym. Florida averages an eye popping 78 PPG while shooting an above average 48% from the field. Perhaps the unsung hero of this gators team who has kept them on the bubble is freshman guard Erving Walker. You might know of him due to his outside shooting abilities. However, it is his suffocating defense that is what makes him so valuable and oh man will they need it tonight. Walker will most likely get the nod to try to contain Auburn’s “LISTED” 6′1 guard DeWayne Reed. Erving Walker Vs DeWayne Reed, expect the two to neutralize each other. As that pans out, MAJOR EDGE FLORIDA. While Calathes might have the most impressive box score numbers it will be Parsons that will make the big plays during this game. The odds posted for the game have Florida as a 3.5 point favorite over Auburn.
Auburn is the big talk right now. They are the hottest team in the SEC (if that’s saying much). They are 8-1 over their past nine games with nice wins against LSU, @ Alabama and vs Tennessee. DeWayne Reed is a major factor for them averaging 13 points, 4 assists and 2 steals a game. Korvotney Barber is their go to big man who puts up an average of 13 points and 10 rebounds a game. The rest of their squad work by committee. The Tigers have a sky high confidence level right now. They feel that their is no reason why they shouldn’t win the SEC championship. Before they dream big, they better have a match up answer for Nick Calathes. He is a guard that can not only shoot from the outside, but at his 6′6 height he can also post up. Calathes averages 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game. If Auburn has any chance to win, or stay competitive for that matter they must shoot better from the free throw line tonight then they have this year. They shoot a dismal 60% from the line as a team. Sta tuned.
Prediction: Auburn’s best player Reed will be guarded by Florida’s top defender Erving Walker. Nick Calathes will have a field day being guarded by, well, whoever it is, it won’t work well for Auburn. they have no answer for him. Expect Parsons to play big inside and Dan Werner will be a nice contributor tonight for the Gators. The two teams met once already this year with Florida winning at auburn. The general public and most analysts are drinking the Auburn Tiger kool aid…..I’m not. Match up problems all over the court for Auburn, lack of experience from not only a playing stand point but a coaches as well. Florida averages six more points a game, they shoot better from the field as well as the three point line and are a much deeper team. Do not let the trends fool you as Auburn is 12-2 in their last fourteen SEC games and 19-7-1 in their last 27 games overall. After tonight you can add a loss ATS to each of those records. Florida this year is 10-14-1 ATS while Auburn is 19-5 ATS. Once again, DO NOT BE FOOLED by the trends. They are wrong, I am right. Trends last night showed Vandy…I picked Bama…Correct. Trends last night showed Cal…I picked USC…Correct. Capitalize on my free pick here and make sure to come back to betfirms.com where winners are picked daily.
Regular Season Records:
Florida 23-9
Auburn 21-10
Betting Line: Florida -3.5
Jordan’s Pick: Take Florida -3.5
Final Score Prediction:
Florida 79
Auburn 68
Get more out of your college basketball betting this year with even more college basketball picks from our other handicappers. We’ve also compiled a list of the top college basketball odds from the best sportsbooks in the world so you can find the best lines on every game you bet.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- 2009-10 Florida College Basketball Predictions
- Florida Gators 2009 NCAA Tournament Bubble
- South Florida vs Seton Hall: Big East Tournament Predictions
- Texas A&M vs BYU: NCAA Tournament Predictions
- Florida State vs Wisconsin: NCAA Tournament Predictions
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