Florida head basketball coach Billy Donovan sends his No. 7 Gators onto the O’Connell Center court in Gainesville tonight with a 7 pm tip-off against his alma-mater, the Providence College Friars of the BIG EAST, in one of the better match-ups involving top-25 teams. The Match-up between the University of Florida (7-2) and Providence College (6-1) could be interesting with the defending national champs coming off a loss at rival Florida State on Sunday (Dec. 3) and loser in two of its last three contests.The Friars stumbled early this season losing at home to Brown University but have reeled off five straight wins including victories over Boston College (Nov. 22) and George Washington (Nov. 26).
Providence College is averaging 77.0 points per game this season with a high of 95 points scored over Rhode Island on December 2. Sophomores Sharaud Curry and Geoff McDermott are two of the top performers in the BIG EAST. Curry leads the team in scoring (16.7 ppg) and is seventh in the league. McDermott leads the team and ranks third in the BIG EAST in rebounding.
Florida’s backcourt has nearly shot it to victory in its two defeats so far. Taurean Green has come up with 25 and 21 points respectively in the Gators’ losses to Kansas and Florida State. Against the Seminoles, Florida’s trio of green, Walter Hodge and Lee Humphrey kept the Gators in striking distance scoring 26 of the team’s 31 points. The three are combining for 29.7 points per game and 5.7 three-pointers per contest.
Providence College visits the Gators as a -15-point road underdog.
The Friars have covered well this season cashing for their supporters in 4-of-6 contests. The UNDER has also been the winner in 4-of-6 games the Friars have played.
The Gators have failed to cover two straight games listed on the Vegas board falling SU at Florida State in and failing to cover ATS +9 ½ to the Seminoles and losing to Kansas 80-82 and coming up short -6 ATS. Of Florida’s nine games only five were against listed on the Las Vegas board. The rest were against patsies like North Florida and Prairie View.
