March Madness: UConn vs. Florida odds, picks and predictions
The No. 8 seed UConn Huskies (24-10) and the top-seeded Florida Gators (31-4) meet Sunday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh for an NCAA Tournament West Region second-round game. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the UConn vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
The Huskies threw a blanket on ninth-seeded Oklahoma in the first round Friday, limiting the Sooners to 32.1% shooting (17-for-53) in a 67-59 win and cover as 6-point favorites with the Under (147) cashing. The 2-time defending champs held Oklahoma to just 17.6% (3-for-17) from behind the 3-point line, too.
UConn G Solo Ball scored a team-high 14 points, while F Alex Karaban was good for 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. The Huskies weren't terribly efficient from the field, hitting 42.9% (24-for-56) and just 24.0% (6-for-25) from downtown. That's going to have to pick up dramatically against the top-seeded Gators Sunday.
Connecticut has won and covered 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament games. In addition, it is 6-1 straight up (SU) in the past 7 games, and 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past 6 outings. The Under is 6-0 in the past 6 games, too.
Florida barely broke a sweat vs. No. 16 seed Norfolk State Friday, winning 95-69. However, the Gators were unable to cover as 28.5-point favorites as the Over (153.5) hit. G Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 23 points, including 4-for-9 from downtown, while G Alijah Martin had 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
The Gators have won 7 in a row, going 6-1 ATS in the span. Plus, the Over is on an 8-0 run. Florida has won 13 of the past 14 with a 12-2 ATS record, while the Over is 11-3.
Florida is No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, while UConn is unranked.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
UConn vs. Florida odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 10:11 p.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML) : UConn +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | Florida -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
: UConn +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | Florida -500 (bet $500 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : UConn +9.5 (-110) | Florida -9.5 (-110)
: UConn +9.5 (-110) | Florida -9.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 151.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
UConn vs. Florida picks and predictions
Prediction
UConn 73, Florida 69
UCONN (+375) is worth a look for the opportunity to nearly quadruple up on your initial wager.
It won't be easy to show top-seeded Florida (-500) the door, but if anyone can, it's 2-time defending champ UConn. The Huskies have won 13 straight NCAA Tournament games, and they won't go easily.
UCONN +9.5 (-110) is worth a play if you're a little more conservative, and not willing to roll the dice on a bit of a long-shot.
The Huskies know how to heat up at the right time, proven by their consecutive NCAA Tournament game win streak.
Florida is a tremendous team, but it showed some vulnerability in losses at Georgia (by 5 points Feb. 25) and at Tennessee (by 20 points Feb. 1). The Gators can be very good, but sometimes they can also completely disappear. They turned it over plenty against Norfolk State, committing 12 miscues. That won't do against the 2-time defending champs. Florida needs to bring its 'A' game.
Just don't wager more than 1½ units between the 2 plays — the UConn ML and the UConn spread.
UNDER 151.5 (-115) is the play, but we're going against the trends for the Gators. They've cashed Overs in their last 8 outings.
For UConn, though, the Under has cashed in 7 in a row with the Huskies limiting their opponent to 66 or fewer points in 5 of their last 6. Plus, in last season's NCAA Tournament, UConn cashed Under in all 6 games.
Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now!
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Miami Marlins join efforts to restore defaced Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso mural
MIAMI — The Miami Marlins are joining efforts to restore the defaced mural of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, which was marked with racist graffiti last week. City of Miami Chairwoman Christine King announced Wednesday that she along with the Marlins, Urgent, Inc., Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and other community activists will lead the restoration at Dorsey Park, where community leaders said a 7-year-old boy first discovered the vandalism last Sunday and asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The bumps and bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the playoff opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with the injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and seems to still be gutting through it. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and A.J. Greer's injury he tried playing through eventually sidelined him.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Names SEC Program With 'Much Higher' Expectations in 2025
Joel Klatt Names SEC Program With 'Much Higher' Expectations in 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Billy Napier's job as Florida's head coach was hanging in the balance. But a late-season surge, largely fueled by the emergence of freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, helped him weather the storm. Advertisement Still, the pressure on Napier hasn't eased. In fact, FOX Sports' Joel Klatt warns that things could quickly spiral if Florida struggles during a pivotal four-game stretch next season. Fox Sports analyst Joel Lee/Imagn Images During Monday's 'Coaching Pressure Index' segment of The Joel Klatt Show, the host spotlighted the Gators' daunting four-game stretch—starting September 13 at LSU and ending October 11 at Texas A&M—as a defining moment in Billy Napier's tenure at Florida. 'Hottest seat in the country last year, performed well. I think that bringing him back is the right move. The Lagway relationship clearly worked. They finished really strong, winning their last four including wins against Ole Miss and LSU – those were big wins,' Klatt said. . Advertisement 'This year, the expectations are much higher. The schedule is just as difficult but they're much higher. And they have an incredibly tough four-game stretch early in the year. I think that they need to go at a minimum 2-2 in these games. This four-game stretch is at LSU, at Miami, (vs.) Texas, and at Texas A&M.' The SEC games will matter, no doubt, but for Napier, it's the September 20 showdown at Miami that could prove most pivotal. 'So then we talk about where is that pressure game? The pressure game is the same pressure game as Florida State, which is Miami,' Klatt continued. 'It's one thing to lose some of these conference games, and understand the conference schedule is incredibly tough, including at LSU, at Texas A&M, and Texas we think is going to be a Top-2 team, maybe the top team in the country. Advertisement 'But you've got to prove you're not the third-tier team in the state of Florida, or even the second-tier team. So the game at Miami is actually the one where the pressure gets ratcheted up. 'Tough four-game stretch, I think they need to go 2-2. And if you don't beat Miami, which other two teams are you beating? I don't know.' Related: Joel Klatt Names Dark Horse SEC Program That is a National Title Contender Related: Joel Klatt Names SEC Program 'Not Even Close' To The College Football Playoff Hunt Related: Joel Klatt Names Two SEC Programs That Are Not Legit Contenders In 2024 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
