Florida vs. Kentucky: Preview, Prediction, Odds, Where to Watch and More

Everything you need to know before the Gators take on the Kentucky Wildcats for the second time this season on Wednesday night.

The first rematch of the Gators' 2023-24 campaign has arrived.

Florida will take on the Kentucky Wildcats inside Rupp Arena on Wednesday, seeking to avenge the two-point loss in the SEC opener in Gainesville on Jan. 6. 

A win for the Gators would notch them their first Quad-I victory of the year, while the Wildcats strive to triumph over UF for the second time to keep hopes for a regular-season SEC crown firmly alive.

You can find everything you need to know before tip-off below, including an in-depth rundown of Florida's opponent, game prediction and more. 

Florida Gators (14-6, 4-3 SEC) vs. No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats (15-4, 5-2 SEC)

Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN | fuboTV (start your free trial)

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | SiriusXM 390 & SXM App

Odds: The Gators are 5.5-point underdogs to the Wildcats on Wednesday, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 171.5 points.

Series history: Florida trails 41-110 in the all-time series against Kentucky. In the most recent meeting, the Wildcats rallied from an 11-point deficit to avoid an upset loss to the Gators in Gainesville, 87-85.

Important stories

Florida Aiming to Remain Aggressive to Avoid More Near-Collapses

• Former Florida Standout Keyontae Johnson Selected to G League Up Next Game
• Gators Land on NCAA's Power 36 Amid Three-Game Win Streak
• Gators Outlast Pesky Dawgs in Overtime Thriller, 102-98
• Florida Fends Off Mississippi State's Late Comeback Efforts, Post 79-70 Win
• Florida Gators Down Missouri Tigers in Columbia, 79-67
• Gators Torched by Dalton Knecht, Fall to Vols 85-66
• Three Takeaways From Gators' 90-68 Drubbing of Razorbacks
• Florida Bounces Back With Convincing Win Over Arkansas, 90-68
• Column: Gators' Poor Defensive Effort Catalyzes Ugly Road Loss to Rebels
• Three Takeaways from Florida Hoops' Narrow Loss to Kentucky
• Florida Fails to Topple No. 6 Kentucky in SEC Opener, 87-85
• Column: Florida Guard Zyon Pullin Hitting Stride at the Perfect Time
• Golden: Guard Zyon Pullin Will' Raise the Level' of Gators Squad
• Denzel Aberdeen a 'Great Example' for Gators' Program Under Todd Golden
• Exclusive: Golden's Gators Striving for 'Next Step' With Reconstructed Roster

The rundown

A clash of two offensively oriented units who like to play fast is on the horizon for midweek hoops in Rupp Arena.

Both the Gators and Wildcats will aim to push the pace on Wednesday night — given their standing at No. 18 and No. 12, respectively, in adjusted tempo on the season — while simultaneously trying to slow the opposition's counterattack.

Namely, Florida aims to slow Kentucky's rapidly developing attack, which it struggled to do in the first meeting by allowing 19 fastbreak points en route to squandering a potentially crucial upset victory in Gainesville.

"Specifically, our transition defense is going to be the first thing, the first box we have to check to give ourselves a chance to win," Gators head coach Todd Golden said on Tuesday. "If we're letting them play in transition on their home floor, it's going to be a bad formula for us. They're a fantastic offense and they're even better in transition. 

"So, making them run against a set defense, and the first time we played them, that was our big advantage. We were able to execute offensively in the halfcourt. We actually scored more efficiently in the halfcourt more so than in transition, which is not something that happens a lot. I think that was more of an aberration than anything else. But on the defensive end, they kind of carved us in transition, but we did a good job against them in halfcourt. We held them to under a point per possession, which is hardly hard to do against them. So I think pace and whoever is dictating that is going to be a big part of this game." 

But, while stopping UK from working in transition is a primary focus, and rightfully so for rhythm purposes, it isn't the end-all-be-all on the scouting report to take down the tenth-ranked team in the country.

It can score in the halfcourt, too.

The difference about this year's Kentucky team is its willingness to share the basketball despite the roster's plethora of capable iso-ball scorers. The Cats take care of, share and shoot the basketball at an uber-effective clip.

They're No. 5 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, No. 13 in assists (18) and No. 3 in three-point percentage per game — shooting at just over 40% from deep.

Veteran guard Antonio Reeves leads the unit's scoring at 19.5 points per game with considerable help from his fellow guards Robert Dillingham, DJ Wagner and Reed Sheppard. The quartet of backcourt pieces has catalyzed the offense's success this season, as it makes up four of the five top spots in scoring and assist metrics.

Forward Tre Mitchell rounds out the final spot, averaging 13.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for the nation's ninth-most efficient offense per KenPom and fourth-ranked scoring offense (88.5 points per game).

What differs from the last meeting between the two SEC foes is the presence of 7-foot-2 freshman forward Zvonimir Ivisic in Kentucky's frontcourt rotation after he was deemed eligible prior to the Widlcats Jan. 20 bout with Georgia.

While he's been used sparingly in the three games he's seen, his presence as a skilled, guard-like big man provides John Calipari the luxury of depth in the unit's lineup at the four or five spot. His shooting and facilitation prowesses make him a high-potential stretch big prospect for UK.

It's something the Gators are mindful of heading into the contest, although the expectation is for Ugonna Onyenso — whom Calipari teased as a potential starter following his showing against Arkansas for his impact on the game beyond the stat sheet — and Aaron Bradshaw to continue commanding the majority of minutes at the five while Mitchell occupies the four.

"It's not going to change a lot," Golden said when asked about the high-ceiling forward on Tuesday. "He's a guy that, in his first game against Georgia, played really, really well and then the last two hasn't been as effective. They only played him three minutes against Arkansas, so I think he's trying to find himself as well, and they have Mitchell, Onyenso, Bradshaw and then Z, so we're going to have to be prepared for all of those guys and the different looks they give us. 

"The difference with Z compared to — even though Bradshaw hit a back-breaking three against us, he's really only made one or two threes on the year and Onyeso doesn't shoot them. So, the difference is if they're playing Z and Mitchell we would have to guard guys that can shoot, or at least have the capacity to make some shots from outside. It's something we're mindful of, and we'll be ready."

Like Florida, Kentucky's defensive efforts have faltered this year.

The Wildcats rank 75th in adjusted defensive efficiency through 20 games this season and are allowing 76.3 points per game, a mark that lands them at 289th in scoring defense this season. Comparatively, Florida sits at 96th in AdjD and 298th in scoring defense, allowing 76.8 points per outing.

But, the unit's top 15 offenses have supplemented their production to keep them in the win column more often than not.

Brandon's Prediction (12-3): Kentucky 90, Florida 84

Florida matched up well with Kentucky in the first meeting between the two rivals on Jan. 6.

The Gators held an 11-point lead in the first half and went into the halftime break with an eight-point advantage. But, as is the case in recent memory, the Wildcats found a way to escape victorious.

Now, UF gets another chance to down UK, an opportunity Calipari said Florida would likely be looking forward to immediately following his team's win to tip off SEC play in early January. In order to play up to the Cats on the road, the Gators will need to arrive in Rupp Arena with an edge, seeking retribution for the loss a few weeks ago in Gainesville.

I believe that they'll show up with it, but it still won't be enough.

The Gators' win over the Tigers in their trip to Columbia, Mo., helped cast out their early road demon and will allow them to avoid being blown out against the Wildcats.

However, it's still a hostile environment — where the unit is susceptible to lapses — against one of the league's best opponents who display a style that has created issues for Florida this season. 

As a result, Golden and Co. fail to pull off the upset in Lexington, falling 90-84 at the hands of the Wildcats on Wednesday.

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