Florida Gators vs. Georgia: Preview, Info, Odds, Where to Watch and More

Todd Golden and Mike White are set for their first head-to-head meeting as the former Gators head coach leads Georgia into Gainesville on Saturday.

The Florida Gators (7-7, 0-3 SEC) and Georgia Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0 SEC) are set to write a new chapter on the rivalry between neighboring state foes.

Before tip-off, all eyes — and likely boos — in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center will be directed toward former Gators head coach Mike White, who decided to depart from Gainesville to rival Georgia just after being eliminated from SEC Tournament contention a season ago. That allowed Todd Golden to step into his first power six head coaching position.

The two will produce the inaugural matchup on Saturday afternoon as Florida searches for a needed spark to its season. Georgia hopes to continue forward after a positively unexpected start.

You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.

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Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Where: Exactech Arena, Gainesville, Fla.

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. EST

Watch: SECN

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD / SiriusXM 138 or 192 / SXM App 974

Odds: Florida is a 7.5-point favorite over the Bulldogs, according to Sports Illustrated Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 138.5 points.

Series history: The Gators are 120-103 all-time against Georgia. In the last meeting between the two squads, Florida walked away with an 84-72 victory over the Bulldogs in Athens, Ga.

Important stories

• Florida Gators fall in defeat to Texas A&M in first SEC home game, 66-63
• Todd Golden optimistic about Florida's growth post-Auburn
• Gators fall short of inspired upset over Auburn, drop SEC opener 61-58
• Gators squander 11-point lead, fall to Oklahoma in Jumpman Invitational
• Gators hoops earn dominant victory over Ohio
• Florida Gators fall hard to UConn Huskies at home, 75-54
• Three takeaways from the Florida Gators Phil Knight Legacy outings
• Florida Gators defensive breakdowns in loss to FAU are "very correctable"
• Todd Golden sets tournament-level expectations for year-one campaign
• Gators basketball 2022-23 player profile: Center Colin Castleton
• Profile: Center Jason Jitoboh
• Profile: Center Aleks Szymczyk
• Profile: Forward CJ Felder
• Profile: Forward Alex Fudge
• Profile: Wing Riley Kugel
• Profile: Wing Kowacie Reeves Jr.
• Profile: Wing Will Richard
• Profile: Wing Niels Lane
• Profile: Guard Myreon Jones
• Profile: Guard Denzel Aberdeen
• Profile: Guard Trey Bonham
• Profile: Guard Kyle Lofton
• Gators' complete 2022-23 schedule

The rundown

White's return to Gainesville is a crucial contest for the Gators.

Fresh off two tough losses in games that presented multiple opportunities to mark a tally in the win column, Florida welcomes their former head coach for a crucial matchup.

Despite losing big man KyeRon Lindsay to Texas Tech as a mid-year transfer, the Bulldogs have presented vast improvement from a season ago due to the playmaking ability in their backcourt. Led by guards Kario Oquendo and Terry Roberts, Georgia's played productive two-way basketball in the early portion of White's tenure in Athens. The duo has combined for nearly 30 points and seven rebounds per contest.

Roberts, who was a potential offseason target for Golden and Co., leads the Dawgs in points (15), assists (4.2) and steals (1.8) to this point in the year. His trek to Georgia is paying dividends for himself and White's squad throughout the beginning of conference play.

As a result, continuing to excel on the defensive end will be imperative for the Gators to overcome a red-hot UGA squad.

Kyle Lofton and Trey Bonham will be tasked with upholding that high level of play. The battle between Bonham and Roberts on both ends has the potential to be a game-deciding matchup.

Georgia heads into Gainesville, freshly removed from a monumental double-digit victory over Auburn on Wednesday night at home.

The Gators are currently viewed as 7.5-point favorites, due to their standing as the No. 26 most efficient defensive team in the nation, according to Kenpom, compared to Georgia's sub-80 ranking. 

A win at home over their former head coach would provide a considerable spark to a Florida team in dire need of a confidence-boosting win as they enter another tough stretch of games in the coming days.

Will Golden and Co. get on track against a new and improved Georgia team? Or, will White walk back into Gainesville and spoil Florida fans' night?

Stay tuned to All Gators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @AllGatorsOnFN on Twitter and All Gators on FanNation-Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

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