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Florida vs. Houston: How to watch, betting lines, game notes

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•about 14 hours•

ZachAbolverdi

Will-Richard-Florida-Gators
Florida Gators guard Will Richard (5) reacts after a play against the Auburn Tigers during the second half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. (Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)

For the first time in 18 years, the Florida Gators (34-5/14-4 SEC) will play for a national championship on Monday night. They face fellow 1-seed Houston (35-4/19-1 Big 12) at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Florida is going for its first title since 2007 and third overall, while the Cougars are looking for their first championship in program history. They lost both previous appearances in the NCAA Tournament final.

How to watch Florida against Houston

When: April 7
Where: Alamodome (68,000) | San Antonio, Texas
Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
TV | Stream: CBS | March Madness app
On the call: Play-by-play: Ian Eagle; Analyst: Bill Raftery, Grant Hill; Reporter: Tracy Wolfson

Betting lines for Gators vs. Cougars

Spread: Florida -1.5
Over/Under: 141.5 points
Moneyline: Florida -120, Houston +100

Florida Gators projected starters

No.PlayerPositionHeight/WeightClassMin.Pts.Rebs.Misc.
1Walter Clayton Jr.Guard6-2, 195 poundsSr.32.518.53.74.1 ast
15Alijah MartinGuard6-2, 210 poundsGr.30.314.64.62.2 ast
5Will RichardGuard6-4, 206 poundsSr.31.513.24.51.6 stl
21Alex CondonForward6-11, 230 poundsSo.24.910.57.62.3 ast
9Rueben ChinyeluCenter6-10, 260 poundsSo.19.06.06.60.9 blk

Houston Cougars projected starters

No.PlayerPositionHeight/WeightClassMin.Pts.Rebs.Misc.
7Milos UzanGuard6-4, 190 poundsJr.31.411.53.04.3 ast
4L.J. CryerGuard6-1, 200 poundsGr.32.615.62.33.1 3fg
21Emanuel SharpGuard6-3, 210 poundsR-Jr.27.312.83.01.4 stl
11Joseph TuglerForward6-8, 230 poundsSo.21.85.55.92.0 blk
13J’Wan RobertsForward6-8, 235 poundsGr.30.110.76.51.8 ast

Game notes

* Florida plays in its fourth national championship game and its first since 2007, seeking its third national title. Todd Golden is the second Florida coach to lead the Gators into the national final, with Billy Donovan coaching UF to the previous three.

* Florida meets a Big 12 team in the national championship game for the first time. Florida has previously met two Big Ten teams in Michigan State and Ohio State and one then-Pac-12 team, UCLA, in the final.

* The Gators earned their way into the final with a 79-73 Final Four win over top overall seed Auburn, led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s career-high 34 points along with 17 from Alijah Martin and 12 from Thomas Haugh.

* Florida extended its single-season record with its 11th top-25 win, nine of which have come vs. teams in the top 12. Eight of those ranked wins have come since March 1.

* Florida has gone 7-2 this season in top-10 matchups, knocking off the fourth-ranked Tigers. Prior to this season, the Gators had gone 6-16 all-time in top-10 matchups.

* Florida has won 11 games in a row and 17 of its last 18. During its 11-game win streak, UF is averaging 89.5 points per game.

* First-team All-American and West Regional Most Outstanding Player Walter Clayton Jr. has set Florida’s single-season scoring record (702) and single NCAA Tournament scoring record (123). Clayton has made a 3-pointer in a Florida-record 61 consecutive appearances.

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