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

Everything you need to know before the Florida Gators hit the road to take on the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday night.

Photo: Gators head coach Todd Golden and the Florida bench; Credit: Zach Goodall

Todd Golden's Gators will endure a crucial road contest on Wednesday night. 

After its two-point loss to Kentucky in the SEC opener on Saturday, Florida returns to action. It gets an Ole Miss Rebels squad outperforming even lofty expectations for Chris Beard's first year in Oxford, Miss.

You can find everything you need to know before tip-off below, including an in-depth rundown of the matchup and game prediction.

Florida Gators (10-4) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (13-1)

Where: SJB Pavilion at Ole Miss, Oxford, Miss.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. ET

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

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | SiriusXM 392 & SXM App

Odds: The Gators are 2.5-point favorites over the Rebels on Wednesday, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 157.5 points.

Series history: Florida leads Ole Miss 70-48 in the all-time series. In their most recent meeting, the Gators dominated the Rebels in Gainesville en route to a 79-64 win.

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• 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
• Florida Steamrolls Quinnipiac in Non-Conference Finale, 97-72
• Florida Gators Trounce Grambling State Tigers, 96-57
• 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 must-win road challenge is on the slate.

Following Florida's disheartening loss to the No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday, the Gators hit the road to Oxford (Miss.), striving to get back in the win column.

The Florida-Ole Miss matchup will be another clash of contrasting styles for Golden and Co. — who look to maximize the number of possessions with an up-tempo approach. It has resulted in the Gators' standing at 11th overall in adjusted tempo via Kenpom and catalyzed their standing as the nation's 11th-ranked offense.

Ole Miss, on the other hand, sports a deliberate offensive style under new head coach Chris Beard, most often utilizing a two-man pick-and-roll game as well as four-out, one-in spaced iso-ball to manufacture open looks.

When the Rebels get those opportunities, they've shown they can take advantage.

They rank No. 8 in the country in three-point shooting percentage at just over 40% as a team, a direct example of their efficiency as they connect on 7.6 threes per game on 18.9 attempts (No. 279).

Guided by senior guard Matthew Murrell, who accounts for 16.4 points per game and complemented by forward Allen Flannigan — their highest-volume player in terms of usage — and guard Jaylen Murray, the Rebels are averaging 76.4 points per contest.

All three have posted more than 15 points per game this season. 

Defensively, Ole Miss' size proves significant as it posts 6.1 blocks per contest, suitable for seventh-best in Division-I college basketball. 7-foot-5 forward Jamarion Sharp and 7-foot Moussa Cisse combine for just over four of those swats to provide one of the best rim-protecting tandems in the SEC. 

However, despite the size advantage created by courting two 7-footers, the Rebels have underachieved on the board. The Gators, meanwhile, possess one of the nation's top rebounding marks — particularly on offense — to hold the upper hand in that area, which is crucial to winning games on the road in the Power Six historically.

A focal point for Florida offensively will be to avoid live-ball turnovers. Ole Miss has found vast success during the 2023-24 campaign, turning defense into offense, another facet of their production led by Murrell, who posts 2.1 steals per game.

And, despite their aforementioned desire to play with control on the offensive end, the Rebels aren't afraid to push the rock in transition to take advantage of teams via easy rim twos. They're averaging 12.6 fastbreak points and 16.2 points off turnovers per game through 14 appearances.

Brandon's Prediction (7-2): Florida 85, Ole Miss 80

The magnitude of this game cannot be overstated, it's important for Florida.

The opportunity to lock in a resume-defining win slipped through the Gators' fingertips on Saturday as they squandered an 11-point lead en route to a two-point loss to Kentucky.

As a result, winning the games against lesser or evenly matched opponents becomes of even more significance. The Rebels fall into that category. They're a formidable opponent, but one UF should ultimately down if it wants to achieve a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24.

I think Golden and Co. are aware of this fact and will show up energized in the hostile environment on Wednesday. The Florida backcourt continues to lead the unit to its success by limiting turnovers, finding good looks against a lackluster Rebels defense and dictating the pace of the game. 

I think the Ole Miss faithful will make it more difficult, but Florida's presence on the boards and pace ultimately sways the game in its favor. 

The Gators post their first tally in the win column in SEC play with an 85-80 victory.

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