Florida Gators vs. Ohio: Preview, Info, Odds, Where to Watch and More

Everything you need to know before the Florida Gators' take on the Ohio Bobcats inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Author:
Brandon Carroll
Publish date:
Dec 14, 2022 9:00 AM EST

In this story:

Photo: Gators Basketball Huddle; Credit: Zach Goodall

One week removed from a 21-point home loss to the new No. 3 team in the country, the Florida Gators (6-4) get an opportunity to rebound against a mid-major opponent at a neutral site on Wednesday.

The Ohio Bobcats (5-4) are traveling from Athens, Ohio, to take on the Gators in Tampa, Fla. after a victory over Youngtown State on Sunday. The two four-loss squads are still attempting to find their footing prior to conference play after rollercoaster starts to their seasons.

You can find everything you need to know about the matchup below.

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Florida Gators vs. Ohio Bobcats

Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. E.T.

Watch: ESPN2

Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD / SiriusXM 84 / SXM App 84

Odds: Florida is a 12.5-point favorite over the Bobcats, according to Action Network. The over/under is set at 143.5 points.

https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaab-game/ohio-florida-score-odds-december-14-2022/176426

Series history: The Gators are 2-1 all-time against Ohio. In the last meeting between the two programs on March. 18, 2005, Florida toppled the Bobcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 67-62.

Important stories

The rundown

The Gators have hit adversity early in the year following a 6-4 start. But, in Todd Golden’s eyes, that can be a positive. It presents room for growth to arrive at the level of play they want to reach prior to the must-win games an SEC schedule brings.

They’ve had multiple opportunities to right the ship to this point, but Ohio may be their last reset opponent as conference play is rapidly approaching.

However, the matchup against the Bobcats likely won’t be the leisurely stroll to victory that FAMU and Stetson provided the unit recently. It will force them to work out the kinks in a hurry as they attempt to avoid another FAU-esque outing.

Despite Ohio’s ups and downs to begin the year, it’s proven to be a worthy opponent for power six programs. Earlier in the season, they took Michigan to overtime in Ann Arbor before falling to the Wolverines by four points after the extra play.

They proved that being outmatched from a general talent standpoint had no hold on their ability to perform at a high level. In return, it put the college basketball world on notice, telling the story that Ohio, when performing at its highest point, is not a cupcake victory on the schedule.

Forward Dwight Wilson III, a Tallahassee, Fla., native, leads the Bobcats from the four spot with 12.5 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. He’s complemented by guards Miles Brown (10.6 ppg), Jaylin Hunter (9.9 ppg) and fellow Florida native AJ Brown (10.4 ppg) in a deep rotation.

The quartet has the ability to provide a spark to OU against the Gators, especially with the added juice coming from the two Florida natives that were passed over by UF — albeit by a different staff — when performing at the prep level just hours from Gainesville.

On Tuesday, Gators head coach Todd Golden provided an overview of the strengths Ohio brings to the table.

“Ohio is a good team that obviously has had good postseason success, beating Virginia a couple of years ago. [Jeff] Boals does a good job. Going up against a good coach who has a good foundation, runs good stuff offensively and can prepare us as we move on. So, it’s a good opponent. They have a good win against Youngstown, took Michigan to overtime at their place. Another challenging opponent for us on a neutral. It’ll be a good one for us.”

That challenge comes on the heels of Florida’s 21-point loss to UConn a week ago, pressuring the Gators to find their groove after falling to the three top-25 caliber teams on their schedule to this point.

Getting the extra time off between games, a full seven days, moving forward will be beneficial for the Gators to reach their potential as a unit.

Not only does it allow UF to simulate in-game situations with increased intensity in practice, but it has provided top contributors Kyle Lofton and Will Richard time to recover from their respective injuries properly.

Those two, alongside the likes of Colin Castleton, Alex Fudge and Trey Bonham, will be crucial to Florida’s success on both ends of the floor as they enter league play after the Jumpman Invitational on Dec. 20.

The Gators enter the contest as 12.5-point favorites over the Bobcats looking to create sustainable momentum with a convincing win.

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