The Texas Longhorns take on the Florida Gators in Gainesville, FL. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Florida is favored by 11 points on the spread with a moneyline of -470. The total is set at 153 points.
Here are my Texas vs. Florida predictions and college basketball picks for January 18, 2025.
Texas vs Florida Prediction
My Pick: Florida -10.5 (Play to -11.5)
My Texas vs Florida best bet is on the Gators spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Texas vs Florida Odds
| Texas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -115 | 153 -110 / -110 | +360 |
| Florida Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -105 | 153 -110 / -110 | -470 |
- Texas vs Florida spread: Florida -11
- Texas vs Florida over/under: 153 points
- Texas vs Florida moneyline: Florida -470, Texas +360
- Texas vs Florida best bet: Florida -10.5 (Play to -11.5)
Spread
I'm taking the Gators on the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I have no play on the total.
My Pick: Florida -10.5 (Play to -11.5)
Texas vs Florida College Basketball Betting Preview
Texas finally notched a quality win on Wednesday, upending Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. The victory was the Longhorns’ first Quad 1 win of the season, an enormous achievement for a barren NCAA Tournament resume.
Now Texas gets another chance at a big win when it heads to Florida, one of the best teams in the nation.
With this game, Texas will have played three top-six KenPom teams in its first five SEC contests, a true gauntlet of an opening slate.
Florida is coming off its first poor effort of the season, losing to Missouri in Gainesville in what felt like the longest game of the year, thanks to a smattering of referee reviews. But make no mistake, Florida is a bona fide title contender this season, with its excellent coaching staff and a roster full of physicality that fits perfectly together.
Texas is already behind the eight-ball with its style of play, which basically spits in the face of analytics and will no doubt be exploited by an opposing coaching staff that eats, sleeps and breathes data.
The Longhorns finish plays in isolation at one of the highest rates in the country and rank 18th nationally in field goal attempt rate from the mid-range.
They do have two matchup challenges in Arthur Kaluma and Tre Johnson — big wings who can put it on the deck and shoot and score in a variety of ways — but any inefficiency by that pair will spell doom for the rest of the team, as the offense will stagnate and morale will deflate.
Guards Jordan Pope and Julian Larry can also create offense and are excellent at times, but they also suffer from erratic play and head-scratching decision-making.
Big man Kadin Shedrick has been a model of efficiency, but Florida has one of the deepest frontlines in college basketball.
Florida is a much tougher team to stop on the offensive end — as evidenced by its sixth-best offensive efficiency in the land. Texas has been excellent at preventing transition this season, which is key against a Gators squad that looks to run first and foremost.
Todd Golden’s half-court offense is a menagerie of ball screens and off-ball cutting with the goal of getting a good shot. Unlike Texas, Florida doesn't take inefficient mid-range jumpers (312th in FGA rate). The Gators get to the rim at a top 60 rate and have the third-highest 3-point attempt rate in SEC play.
If a shot is missed, it’s likely Florida will grab the miss with a lineup always featuring two true bigs. Only two teams in the country grab a higher rate of offensive rebounds, and that's bad news for a Texas team that's been crushed on the glass early in SEC play.
A mismatch of coaching and styles underpins this game. Florida has the horses, and Texas does not. An angry Gators squad coming off a loss — with an edge in almost every facet of the game — makes for a potential 20-point smackdown.
The spread is large but warranted in a clash of conference titans.
