Pete Maravich Assembly Center – Baton Rouge, LA
Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:00 pm ET
Line: Florida -12.0

#25 Florida will hope to snap a two-game slide as they travel to face a reeling LSU team.

Losers of five straight (and seven of their last eight), LSU comes into Wednesday evening’s matchup as heavy home underdogs against the Gators. The Tigers, who hold down the fort in 13th place (out of 14) in the conference, are 7-3 at home (3-7 ATS) but 0-3 (0-3 ATS) at home in conference play. The one thing LSU has been consistent at (besides losing) has been a total trend of hitting the Over (9 out of the Tigers’ last 10 games). Coach Johnny Jones’ squad was on the road last week, dropping both games as double-digit underdogs at Auburn and at Arkansas, however LSU did manage to cover both (78-74, LSU +11; 99-86, LSU +14). The Tigers are 2-2 ATS as underdogs of double-figures. Florida comes off arguably their worst loss of the season, a home defeat to Vanderbilt (68-66, UF -11) on Saturday. This loss left Coach Mike White’s Gators with an empty week following a road defeat on Wednesday night at #24, South Carolina (57-53, UF +1.5). Florida is 0-3 ATS since Jan. 14 but 9-8 ATS overall on the season. Going with the total theme for LSU, the Over is 10-2 in Florida’s last 12 road games. Florida G Canyon Barry (12.4 PPG) rolled his ankle on Saturday in the loss to Vanderbilt, only playing 17 minutes in the process. Barry is questionable for Wednesday evening’s game. LSU and Florida split their meetings (with the home team winning each) last season and the teams are 3-3 (3-3 ATS) over their past six clashes dating back to 2013’s SEC Tournament. The Over is dominant in this matchup in previous years (5-1), going with the total theme for the Tigers and Gators.

Coach White’s Gators will look to get back on the winning track against the SEC’s worst defense in LSU (79.5 PPG, 311th in NCAA). The Gators are very adept at creating turnovers (16.4 TO/G, 12th in NCAA) and LSU is prone to carelessness (14.6 giveaways, 277th in NCAA). Where the Gators have had difficulty is controlling the backboards, only outrebounding one of their last seven opponents. Grabbing just 35.1 RPG (203rd in NCAA), LSU has the ability to hurt the Gators on the glass as rebounding is one of the Tigers’ strengths (38.1 RPG, 70th in NCAA; 10.7 OR/G). While the one opponent Florida outrebounded recently was Vanderbilt (on Saturday), Florida’s defense gave way against the Commodores, allowing 42 second-half points and losing their grasp on a five-point halftime lead. The Gators gave up 10 threes to Vanderbilt (40.0% 3PT). Speaking of threes, the Gators are in a deep slump from beyond the arc, shooting an almost-unthinkable 0-for-17 from downtown in their 57-53 loss to South Carolina and then following that up with 8-for-25 from three against Vanderbilt. LSU isn’t good defending the three, but is even worse playing defense in the paint, so Florida would be smart to try and get to the rim and convert or draw a foul (Florida draws 21.5 fouls per game, 27th in NCAA). Barry is Florida’s best long-range shooter and he’d been averaging 17.6 PPG over his last five games before getting hurt against Vanderbilt. If Barry is unable to suit up, beyond 20’9” would be even more barren territory for the Gators. G KeVaughn Allen (14.0 PPG) is as streaky as they come, and leads the Gators in scoring. In the Gators’ previous three games before Vanderbilt, Allen was 0-for-8 from three and had a combined 16 points. On Saturday, though, Allen erupted for a season-high 29 points (his fourth 20-point performance this year) on 10-for-18 FG (5-for-12 3PT). F Devin Robinson (11.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is Florida’s only other double-figure scorer. Robinson has struggled in conference play, averaging only 7.4 PPG over his last five games after posting double-figures in 12 of his first 14 games this season. Senior G Kasey Hill (9.3 PPG, 4.8 APG) never quite fulfilled his promise as a McDonald’s H.S. All-American and one of former coach Billy Donovan’s last recruits, but he is averaging a career-high in points and assists this season to go along with 2.0 steals per game.

LSU started off the season with a few feel-good wins. Reports were that chemistry was high now that the Ben Simmons show had gone to the NBA, but conference play has brought the Tigers to a new low. Offensive inconsistency, suspensions from the team (F Craig Victor) and defensive ineptitude have brought on a full rebuilding year for LSU. At 9-9 and losers of five in a row, one wonders if Coach Jones will be manning the sidelines in Baton Rouge next season. LSU has allowed five of their last eight opponents to shoot better than 53% FG against them, and while they have some skilled pieces offensively (Antonio Blakeney, Duop Reath, Skyler Mays), these guys just aren’t talented enough to make up for the ease at which their opponents score. Blakeney (16.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG) is the second-leading rebounder on the team at 6’4”. A talented scoring guard who can get his shot off in most any situation, unfortunately LSU needs more from Blakeney than is reasonable to ask (20 points night-in, night-out). Reath (13.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 BPG), a 6’10” JuCo transfer, has been a diamond in the rough for Coach Jones. On an SEC title contending team, Reath would make for a great big man to bring off the bench, but on LSU, Reath is playing more than expected and is the first option down low (which leads to fatigue, foul trouble, and careless turnovers for the big man). A bright spot, recently and for the future of the program, has been Mays – the freshman point guard. Averaging 7.2 PPG and 3.9 APG, Mays has recently won himself a spot in the starting lineup and put up 22 points and six assists in LSU’s most recent loss in a tough environment, at Arkansas (99-86). At 6’4”, 205lbs, Mays has the look of a future all-league point guard.