The No. 10 Colorado Buffaloes hope to add to their school-record win total when they face the seventh-seeded Florida Gators on Friday in a first-round matchup in the South Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Colorado (25-10) defeated Boise State 60-53 in the First Four on Wednesday for its 25th victory of the season, eclipsing the program mark of 24 set in 2010-11 and matched the following campaign. Florida (24-11) is aiming for its ninth consecutive first-round triumph since falling to BYU 99-92 in double overtime in 2010.
Tipoff from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. is set for 4:30 p.m. ET. The Gators are 1-point favorites in the latest Florida vs. Colorado odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 157.5. Before making any Colorado vs. Florida picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Florida vs. Colorado and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Colorado vs. Florida:
- Florida vs. Colorado spread: Gators -1
- Florida vs. Colorado over/under: 157.5 points
- Florida vs. Colorado money line: Gators -111, Buffaloes -109
- FLA: The Gators are 11-13-1 against the spread as favorites this season
- COL: The Buffaloes are 8-10 ATS in road or neutral-site games this campaign
- Florida vs. Colorado picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Florida can cover
The Gators have won 10 consecutive first-round matchups against teams seeded 10th or lower, with their last loss coming in 2004 against No. 12 Manhattan. Florida is averaging 85.1 points this season, the fifth-most among all teams in the NCAA Tournament. The team also has been strong on the glass in 2023-24, ranking second in the nation in total rebounds (42.7) and third in offensive boards (14.8).
Junior guard Walter Clayton Jr.'s first season with the Gators has been an impressive one as he is the first Florida player with 600 points in a campaign since Nick Calathes scored 618 in 2008-09. Clayton, who transferred from Iona after the 2022-23 season, leads Florida with an average of 17.1 points and has recorded 20 or more on 14 occasions. Senior guard Zyon Pullin is second on the club in scoring (15.6 points) and first in assists (4.9) after spending the previous four seasons at UC Riverside. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Colorado can cover
The Buffaloes' victory against Boise State was their ninth in 10 contests, with the only loss in that span being a seven-point setback against Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game. Tristan da Silva, who is averaging 15.9 points this season, scored a game-high 20 in the triumph as he went 3-for-6 from 3-point range while all the other players from both teams were a combined 3-for-27. The senior forward has reached double figures in points in all but two of his 32 contests this campaign and scored at least 20 in four of his last eight outings.
KJ Simpson recorded a double-double against the Broncos as he scored 19 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. The junior guard, who leads Colorado with averages of 19.6 points and 4.8 assists, has been held under 10 points just twice in 35 games this season. Simpson added four assists and made two steals on Wednesday, while senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. was 6-for-8 from the floor en route to 13 points as he raised his average to a career-best 10.3 per contest this season, his first with the Buffaloes following three at TCU. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Florida vs. Colorado picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 154 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Florida vs. Colorado, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Colorado vs. Florida spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
