Kentucky Wildcats vs Florida Gators Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 02/14/2026

Game Time: 3:00 pm ET, Saturday, February 14, 2026

Venue:  Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville, FL 

Where to Watch:  ABC

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +11.5, Florida -11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +11.5, Florida -11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Kentucky +11.5, Florida -11.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Kentucky Wildcats:  17-7 (8-3) (2nd place, SEC)

Florida Gators:  18-6 (9-2) (1st place, SEC)

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Kentucky Wildcats:  4-1  last 5

Florida Gators:  4-1  last 5

Kentucky is entering this game with a 17-7 record overall, an 8-3 record in conference games, and they are 3-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Tennessee Volunteers in their last game. Otega Oweh led the team in points in that game with 21 while Denzel Aberdeen was next on the team with 16. Malachi Moreno, Collin Chandler, and Denzel Aberdeen each led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Brandon Garrison led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 50% from the field, 26.3% from 3-point range, and 59.1% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 81.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71.3 PPG against them. Kentucky has an ATS record of 11-13 this season and their O/U record is 11-13.

Florida is entering this game with an 18-6 record overall, a 9-2 conference record, and they are 10-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Georgia Bulldogs in their last game. Xaivian Lee led the team in points in that game with 18 while Boogie Fland was next on the team with 15. Xaivian Lee led the team in assists with 7 in that game while Rueben Chinyelu led the team in rebounds with 20. They were 50.8% from the field, 38.5% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 86.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71 PPG against them. Florida has an ATS record of 12-12 this season and their O/U record is 8-15-1.

The current betting odds have Kentucky listed as an 11.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Kentucky has looked good in their games this season with their 17-7 record overall and their 8-3 conference record which has them right near the top of the SEC. They haven't been a great road team though with their 3-3 road record this year. Meanwhile, Florida has looked really good in their games this season with their 18-6 record overall and their 9-2 conference record which has them right at the top of the SEC. They have looked great on their home court too with their 10-1 home record this season. Florida is 4-1 in their last 5 games and they have been rolling lately with 4 wins in a row now. They are off a big win over Georgia in their last one and they are starting to look more like a team that can win the National Championship, like they did last year. They have been blowing out a lot more teams lately, but they haven't played against many contenders lately either, and the SEC isn't nearly as strong as it was last season. Kentucky didn't have a great start to the season and they struggled a lot early on against elite teams, but lately they have figured some things out and have looked like one of the best teams in the SEC. They are also 4-1 in their last 5 games and have some momentum on their side with 3 wins in a row now, coming off a big comeback win late against Tennessee in their last one. Kentucky has played with fire in a lot of their games this season, but lately they have been finding ways to win games and they definitely have the talent to compete with a team like Florida. Look for Kentucky to bring their best effort against the defending champions and keep this a tight game. The best way to place a bet here is on Kentucky to cover the spread in this game. 

Kentucky Florida Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Saturday, February 14, 2026 (3:00 pm ET start time) is Florida 84 Kentucky 78.

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Kentucky Wildcats: 11-20 ATS off a win against a conference rival. 7-14 ATS after 3 or more consecutive wins. 4-7 ATS in a road game where the total is 150 to 159.5. 11-5 OVER as a road underdog or pick. 16-9 OVER versus up-tempo teams averaging 62 or more shots/game.

Florida Gators: 14-6 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. 8-4 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points. 11-2 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 24-15 OVER versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 4+ per game. 24-17 OVER when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 80%).

Kentucky Wildcats:  B. Hawthorne (F) Out - Redshirt. K. Williams (G) Out - Foot. J. Lowe (G) Out - Undisclosed. J. Quaintance (F) Questionable - Knee.

Florida Gators:  None.

“So, we started him on just a very, very, very light — not even return to play just a little rehab. And there’s just a little bit of swelling that came back. So, we’re managing that. But it’s not imminent right now.” - Mark Pope on the injury to Jayden Quaintance.

"Really proud of our group tonight. I thought we did a great job coming out ready to play. We got, obviously, off to a really good start, and we never really looked back. I thought our defense, again, was fantastic. We held them to 34% from the field, 27% from three.” - Todd Golden after his team’s win against UGA in their last game. 

D. Aberdeen 

C. Chandler 

A. Jelavic 

M. Moreno 

O. Oweh

R. Chinyelu 

A. Condon 

B. Fland 

T. Haugh 

X. Lee

PPG: Otega Oweh (17.1)

APG: Denzel Aberdeen (3.2)

Reb/G: Malachi Moreno (6.3)

PPG: Thomas Haugh (17.5)

APG: Boogie Fland (3.8)

Reb/G: Rueben Chinyelu (11.8)

Coaches:

Kentucky Wildcats: Mark Pope (2nd season)

Florida Gators: Todd Golden (4th season)