College basketball’s 2025 Jimmy V Classic kicks off Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The headliner will be a showdown between the UConn Huskies and Florida Gators in a rematch of a second-round game from last season’s NCAA Tournament. Heading into this game, the Huskies (8-1) are ranked No. 5 and the Gators (5-3) are ranked No. 15.
Let’s take a look at my UConn vs. Florida predictions.
UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators odds
Moneyline: UConn -220 / Florida +180
Spread: UConn -4.5 (-115) / Florida +4.5 (-105)
Total: Over 146.5 (-115) / Under 146.5 (-105)
Pick UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators: Florida +4.5 (-105)
Florida won the recent NCAA Tournament tilt 77-75 en route to the national title. Both teams look a lot different nine months later, but another thriller can be expected. While the Gators’ 5-3 record isn’t spectacular, it’s worth diving deeper into those numbers. Their losses totaled 11 points, including setbacks against now No. 1 Arizona (by six) and now-No. 3 Duke (with one on the way). In their most recent game last Tuesday, the Gators defeated the Blue Devils 42-31 in the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. As such, head coach Todd Golden’s team should feel pretty good about themselves despite falling one point short of Duke. Thomas Haugh (18.6 ppg) leads five players with double-digit averages.
UConn’s only loss came in its own building to that same opponent in Arizona. The Huskies’ early-season resume includes wins over BYU, Illinois and Kansas, although the BYU game had a two-point margin and they defeated a Darryn Peterson-less Kansas squad by five. There are some small question marks at UConn right now. Top scorer Tarris Reed Jr. (15.5 ppg) has missed four of the last five games due to an ankle injury and Braylon Mullins has been sidelined for six games due to his own ankle issue. Mullins has since returned, but head coach Dan Hurley said the freshman isn’t ready to play “28 to 30” minutes per game.
Pick UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators: Under 146.5 (-105)
UConn and Florida are two of college basketball’s most respected programs and – as usual – they look like two of the best teams in the country this season. Combine that with the setting of the Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden and this monster matchup should deliver an atmosphere as close to the NCAA Tournament as the regular season can be. That is why the intensity – and especially the defensive effort – will certainly be maximum.
The Huskies’ style is a recipe for low-scoring basketball games. They are strong defensively and their pace of play is slow. Hurley’s side are outside the top 300 nationally in terms of ball possession per game this season. UConn is No. 6 in the country in points allowed per game (60.4). The Gators are playing at a faster pace, but only two of eight opponents in 2025-26 have reached the 80-point mark. Their visit to Duke yielded a modest 133 points (67-66 loss) and Tuesday’s game could have a similar feel.
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