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

Everything you need to know before the Gators aim to sweep the season series against the Missouri Tigers on Wednesday in Gainesville.

Brandon Carroll | Feb 28, 2024

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

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Florida Gators

Photo: Florida forward Tyrese Samuel and head coach Todd Golden; Credit: Zach Goodall

With four games remaining in the regular season, the Gators are vying to finish in the top four of the SEC and receive a double bye in the conference tournament.

In the first contest, Florida will take on an immensely struggling Missouri squad in Gainesville. The Tigers are winless in league play through 14 attempts, a streak the Gators hope to extend en route to a coveted 20th win of the year.

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

No. 24 Florida Gators (19-8, 9-5 SEC) vs. Missouri Tigers (8-19, 0-14 SEC)

Where: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET

Watch: SEC Network | fuboTV (start your free trial)

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | SiriusXM 161 or 191 & SXM App

Odds: The Gators are 13.5-point favorites over the Tigers on Wednesday, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 154.5 points.

Series history: Florida leads the all-time series with Missouri 10-4, including a 5-1 record at home. In their most recent matchup, the Gators surged in the second half to down the Tigers on the road, 79-67.

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The rundown

Losers of 17 of its last 18, Missouri, like Vanderbilt, presents little impediment on paper to Florida.

The Tigers are the SEC bottomfeeder at 0-14 in league play and sport the No. 232 scoring offense (72 points per game) and No. 262 scoring defense (74.9 points allowed per game) this season.

In their last meeting, the Gators earned their first true road victory of the season by taking down the Tigers 79-67 in Columbia (Mo.).

Florida weathered the first-half storm of Mizzou, shooting 44.6% from the floor and 40.6% from beyond the arc while accounting for just four turnovers in the final 20 minutes of play to cruise to the crucial win.

Tigers' guard Tamar Bates presented the biggest threat to the Gators, thanks to a 36-point outing in which he shot 61.9% from the field. However, despite the junior's dominant showing, Florida managed to pull away in the second half on the back to a 40-27 (13-4 offensive) final advantage on the boards.

The win kickstarted an impressive run by Golden and Co. to win seven of the nine contests the unit's competed in since.

This time, Florida aims to maintain its success and build more positive momentum as it competes for a top-four SEC finish in the four remaining regular season games. Doing so will utilize a game plan similar to the first matchup.

Namely, the Gators look to take care of the basketball — against a highly active defensive team in Missouri ranking No. 79 in forced turnover percentage per KenPom — and remain disciplined on the glass, particularly defensively, after a slight drop in production in that area of late. It's proven to be critical of UF's year-long fortitude to this point.

"Super important," Golden said when asked about the importance of dominating the glass. "Not only for this game, but for the rest of the year. It's been such a big reason as to why we've been successful. If we're not rebounding well, it just closes our margin for error — a lot. We want to get back to what has allowed us to become the team we are right now.

"It's something that's a lot about effort, but there's some execution as well that we have to clean up today and tomorrow morning before the game. My hope is that we respond the right way and have a really good effort tomorrow night."

Missouri offers Florida the ability to emphasize the technical aspects of controlling the glass as the nation's 353rd-ranked squad in offensive rebounding percentage this season.

Brandon's Prediction (16-5): Florida 84, Missouri 66

Florida and Missouri projects to be another opportunity for the Gators to home in on areas needing improvement before a two-game stretch against South Carolina on the road and Alabama at home.

Notably, Golden and Co. will lean into their defensive game, aiming to grow more efficient on that end prior to the postseason.

Against Missouri, Florida has the ability to limit scoring opportunities in the halfcourt and dominate the boards to produce counterattacks on the opposite end of the floor.

The Gators fast-paced style gave the Tigers fits the first time around.

I expect it to do so against on Wednesday evening.

I predict Zyon Pullin to benefit from the quick offensive possessions to return to form as a double digit scorer while also accounting five or more assists. Walter Clayton Jr. and Tyrese Samuel — who proved to be a mismatch against Dennis Gates’ lineup in mid-January — notably join him with more than 15 points on the day.

Missouri’s winless streak isn’t snapped in Gainesville. The Gators start fast and cruise to a comfortable win over the Tigers, 84-66.

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.

Published Feb 28, 2024

BRANDON CARROLL

Brandon Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Florida. He serves as the lead reporter for the Florida Gators FanNation-Sports Illustrated website, covering football, basketball and recruiting. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys listening to music, playing flag football and basketball, spending time with his friends and family, and watching an array of television shows. Follow him on Twitter @itsbcarroll.