College basketball’s 2025 Jimmy V Classic tips off on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The headliner is a showdown between the UConn Huskies and Florida Gators in a rematch of an NCAA Tournament second-round game this past season. Heading into this contest, the Huskies (8-1) are ranked No. 5 and the Gators (5-3) are No. 15.
Let’s take a look at my UConn vs. Florida predictions.
UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators odds
Money line: UConn -220 / Florida +180
Spread: UConn -4.5 (-115) / Florida +4.5 (-105)
Total: Over 146.5 (-115) / Under 146.5 (-105)
UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators pick: Florida +4.5 (-105)
Florida won the recent NCAA Tournament tilt 77-75 on its way to the national title. Both teams look a good bit different nine months later, but another thriller can be expected. Although the Gators’ 5-3 record is unspectacular, it’s worth making a deeper dive into those numbers. Their losses have come by a combined 11 points, including setbacks against now-No. 1 Arizona (by six) and now-No. 3 Duke (by one on the road). In their most recent game last Tuesday, the Gators outscored the Blue Devils 42-31 in the second half inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. As such, head coach Todd Golden’s team should be feeling pretty good about itself despite coming up one point short at Duke. Thomas Haugh (18.6 ppg) leads five players averaging in double-figures.
UConn’s lone loss has come in its own building to that same Arizona opponent. The Huskies’ early-season resume features wins over BYU, Illinois, and Kansas, although the BYU game was a two-point margin and they beat a Darryn Peterson-less Kansas squad by five. There are some minor question marks involving UConn at the moment. Leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr. (15.5 ppg) has missed four of the last five contests with an ankle injury and Braylon Mullins was sidelined for six games by his own ankle issue. Mullins has since returned, but head coach Dan Hurley said that the freshman is not yet ready to play “28 to 30” minutes per game.
UConn Huskies vs. Florida Gators pick: 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 Madison Square Garden in New York and this monster matchup should provide an atmosphere as close to the NCAA Tournament as the regular season can get. Because of that, the intensity — and the defensive commitment, especially — will surely be at a maximum.
The Huskies’ style is a recipe for low-scoring basketball games. They are sound defensively and their pace of play is slow. Hurley’s squad ranks outside the top 300 nationally in possessions per game this season. UConn is No. 6 in the land in points per game allowed (60.4). The Gators play at a faster pace, but only two of eight opponents in 2025-26 have reached the 80-point mark. Their visit to Duke produced a modest 133 points (67-66 loss) and Tuesday’s game could have a similar feel.