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

Photo: Florida forward Alex Condon; Credit: Zach Goodall

Following an intense, double-overtime victory over Michigan in the Jumpman Invitational on Tuesday, the Florida Gators (8-3) return home after playing six of their last seven games away from Gainesville to take on the Grambling State Tigers (2-9).

Todd Golden and Co. are riding a four-game winning streak and aim to compound the momentum gained in December with an efficient performance against the Tigers on Friday.

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

Florida Gators (8-3) vs. Grambling State Tigers (2-9)

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

When: Friday, Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. ET

Watch: SEC Network+/ESPN app

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | The Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 382 & SXM App

Odds: The Gators are 25.5-point favorites over the Tigers, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 146.5 points.

Series history: This is the first matchup in series history between Florida and Grambling State. The Gators are 2-0 during Todd Golden's tenure as head coach in Gainesville and 28-1 all-time against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents.

Important stories

The rundown

Following a tough road loss to Wake Forest on Nov. 29, the Gators aimed to regroup by producing an undefeated record in the month of December.

Thus far, they've held firm in that task, winning contests against Merrimack, Richmond, East Carolina and, most recently, Michigan en route to posting a 4-0 mark in the final months of the calendar year.

With two games remaining on the 2023 part of the schedule, Florida's path to accomplishing the feat grows increasingly attainable.

It starts with the 2-9 Grambling State Tigers on Friday afternoon in Gainesville.

Grambling State provides little impediment for the Gators to accomplish that feat, given their only two wins of the season have come at home against Non-Division I opponents.

They're 0-5 against Quadrant I opponents — and 0-4 versus Quad IV teams — with failed attempts to produce sustainable challenges to the likes of Colorado, Iowa State, Dayton, Washington State and Drake to begin the year.

The Tigers have lost all by two games (Delaware State and Southeastern Louisiana) by double-digits, including a lopsided 55-point loss to the Cyclones — who ranked No. 5 in the NET rankings through the first two months of the 2023-24 campaign.

As a result, Florida is expected to cruise to a win in its return home after spending six of the last seven contests on the road, as indicated by the aforementioned 25.5-point spread in favor of the Gators provided by SI Sportsbook.

Covering against a team like Grambling State at this point in the season comes with added importance, as each appearance becomes more critical in UF's quest to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons this March.

Todd Golden and Co. are coming off a vital win over Michigan on Tuesday, in which the Wolverines took UF to double overtime before the latter could pull out a victory on the back of veteran guard Zyon Pullin. The triumph after 50 minutes of action provided a potential turning point for the Gators' season, as a resilient effort against a Power Six opponent can do.

Florida looks to compound that momentum on Friday against a Grambling State team led by Donte' Jackson.

Leading scorer Kintavious Dozier leads the unit's sluggish offensive efforts as the only player averaging more than 10 points per game, posting 14.9 per outing. Fellow guard Tra'Michael Morton and center Jonathan Aku complement his effort.

The Tigers rank No. 331 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 268 in adjusted defensive efficiency through 11 games, providing Florida with a valuable opportunity to produce the 40-minute, dominant victory that's eluded the squad thus far.

Brandon's Prediction (5-1): Florida 92, Grambling State 58

As evident by the rundown portion of this article, Florida has an advantage in nearly every category heading into this matchup.

On Tuesday, the Gators saw their frontcourt keep them afloat while the backcourt struggled to find a scoring presence against the Wolverines early on.

With two players standing 6-foot-11 or taller in the starting lineup, and an additional big fitting the parameter coming off the bench, I think Florida's forwards are rewarded for their early efforts against Michigan as the focal point of the team's game plan on Friday.

The Tigers have two 6-foot-11 players of their own in starting center Aku and rare contributor Malik Lamin, but Tyrese Samuel, Micah Handlogten and Alex Condon prove too much for Grambling State to combat in Gainesville.

As a result, I expect the Gators to dominate the rebounding and points in the paint battle en route to trouncing the Tigers 92-58.

Florida wins its fifth straight contest with ease to advance to 9-3, rolling into its final bout of 2023 against Quinnipiac on Saturday, Dec. 30.

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