The Florida Gators are gearing up to battle Prairie View A&M in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The game is slated for Friday at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Florida enters the tournament as the top seed, holding a 26-7 record. Prairie View A&M, seeded 16th, comes into the match following a 67-55 victory over Lehigh in the First Four.
Gators Heavily Favoured
The Gators are considered heavy favourites. Oddsmakers have installed Florida as 35.5-point favourites. The over/under for the game is set at 154.5 points.
Florida has been dominant recently, winning 12 of their last 13 games. They also secured the SEC regular-season title with a 16-2 conference record. Prairie View A&M finished eighth in the SWAC standings at 9-9, but arrive at this contest on an eight-game winning streak.
SportsLine Model’s Predictions
The SportsLine Projection Model offers some insights. The model has simulated the game 10,000 times to generate its picks and predictions. Their college basketball picks have been on a strong run, hitting 11-1 on top-rated over/under picks dating back to last season, and 28-22 on top-rated side picks.
The model is projecting a high-scoring affair. The Over on the total points is the model’s recommendation. The Over has been a common result in Florida’s recent games, hitting in five of their last nine.
Prairie View A&M has been strong against the spread, going 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games. Florida, meanwhile, is 6-4 ATS in their last 10.
Projected Player Performances
The SportsLine model anticipates strong performances from several players. For Prairie View A&M, three players are projected to score 19 points or more, including Dontae Horne, who is projected to score 19 points. The Gators are projected to have six players score 11 points or more, led by Thomas Haugh, who is projected to score 20.
- Dontae Horne is projected to score 19 points.
- Thomas Haugh is projected to score 20 points.
The model projects a total of 157 combined points. This suggests the Over clearing in well over 50% of simulations.
Spread Pick Available
The SportsLine model has also generated a spread pick. According to the simulations, one side of the spread cashes nearly 60% of the time.
The model has simulated every possession of the game 10,000 times.
The SportsLine Projection Model is leaning towards the Over, projecting 157 combined points.