Florida vs. Texas A&M: Odds, final score predictions from ESPN, KenPom

Florida and Missouri begin day two action at the SEC tournament with the first game on Thursday afternoon. Ahead of tipoff, here is how to watch No. 9-seed Florida (19-12) versus No. 8-seed Texas A&M (20-11), in addition to predictions from both ESPN and KenPom, and the Las Vegas odds.

How to watch Florida versus Texas A&M

Time: 12 p.m. ET

Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Fla.)

Network: SEC Network

Vegas odds

According to VegasInsider, the Gators are 2-point favorites in the second round of the SEC tournament on Thursday. The over/under for the game is 134.

ESPN BPI prediction

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) measures team strength and predicts future performances across the sport. The BPI prediction from ESPN has UF with a 59.6% chance of earning a close victory over the Aggies on Thursday afternoon. It’s the third-most competitive game of the day, based on matchup quality.

Projected winner: Florida

Predicted point differential: 2.3

Matchup Quality: 88.1

KenPom prediction

KenPom is another tool used to predict and project college basketball results. Like ESPN, KenPom projects the Gators moving past the Aggies and on to the quarterfinals.

Predicted winner: Florida

Predicted final score: UF 69, Texas A&M 68

Win probability (for UF): 51%

Bubble squads Florida, Texas A&M battle it out Thursday

Despite coming into the neutral site game as the favorites, the Gators lost to Texas A&M in their sole meeting this season. Buzz Williams’ squad took the victory by one point in mid-February. It was the game that broke the Aggies’ eight-game losing streak and sets up a spicy matchup on Thursday.

A win in this game and then in the next round against top-seeded Auburn likely would lock up an NCAA bid for either team. Just winning this one likely wouldn’t be enough. A&M comes in having won five of six, while Florida fell to Kentucky to end the regular season.