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SEC Tournament: Texas A&M vs. Florida odds, picks and predictions

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SEC Tournament: Texas A&M vs. Florida odds, picks and predictions


The Texas A&M Aggies (20-13) and Florida Gators (23-10) meet in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Texas A&M vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.

The 7th-seeded Aggies upset 2nd-seeded Kentucky in the quarterfinals Friday, winning 97-87 as 5.5-point underdogs as the Over (160) cashed. Texas A&M also topped Ole Miss, and it has won and covered 5 straight games with the Over connecting in 4 in a row.

The 6th-seeded Gators surprised Alabama Friday, winning 102-88 as 5-point underdogs as the Over (175) cashed. Florida is 5-3 straight up (SU) in the past 8 games, but it is just 2-5 against the spread (ATS) in the previous 7 outings. The Over has cashed in 6 straight and 8 of the past 9 contests.

Texas A&M topped Florida 67-66 in the only regular-season meeting, with the Gators cashing as 4-point underdogs in College Station Feb. 3 as the Under (151.5) cashed. The Aggies have won 5 straight in the series while covering 3 of those outings. The Under has cashed in 3 straight meetings while going 4-1 in the previous 5 in the series dating back to Feb. 15, 2022.

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– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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Texas A&M vs. Florida odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:15 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Texas A&M +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | Florida -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
  • Against the spread: Texas A&M +2.5 (+100) | Florida -2.5 (-120)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 151.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Texas A&M vs. Florida picks and predictions

Prediction

Florida 82, Texas A&M 80

Moneyline

Florida (-160) will cost you almost 2 times your potential return, and that’s a little too much risk for not enough reward.

Texas A&M (+135) has been hot in this tournament, and it has racked up 5 huge wins in a row to strengthen its resume for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. It won’t go quietly, though, despite feeling much better after an upset of Kentucky.

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PASS.

Against the spread

TEXAS A&M +2.5 (+100) is a strong play.

This is going to be a tussle, and the Aggies are playing with a lot of confidence after upending the 2nd-seeded Wildcats. Texas A&M has covered 5 in a row, and it’s worth playing as the underdog.

Florida -2.5 (-110) has won just 5 of the past 8 games while going 2-5 ATS in the past 7 outings.

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Over/Under

OVER 151.5 (110) is a strong play in this SEC semifinals matchup.

The Over is on a 6-0 run for Florida, as it is filling up the basket with a lot of ease lately. In fact, the Gators have hit triple digits in 2 of the past 4 games, and neither of those games went to overtime. The Gators are good for 81 or more points in 10 of the past 14 outings.

The Aggies aren’t usually known for their offense, but they dropped 97 on Kentucky Friday, and Texas A&M has scored 85 or more points in 4 straight outings, cashing the Over in each game.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.

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2 Florida men arrested after scamming $20K from man in California

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2 Florida men arrested after scamming K from man in California


Two Florida men were arrested in Port St. Lucie after being accused of conducting a bank scam on a man in California, police said.

Trey Romans, 21, is facing several charges, including one count of grand theft and one count of scheme to defraud, while Jean Dorcena, 25, was charged with one count of grand theft, one count of Scheme to defraud, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.

According to Port St. Lucie Police, on Oct. 30, the man in California reported that he was scammed out of $20,000 after he received a call from someone who claimed they were a Chase Bank representative.

The victim told authorities that the caller said his account was compromised and told him to physically transfer his funds to another Chase Bank in Port St. Lucie.

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After listening to the caller, the victim withdrew his money from the bank, put it in a yellow envelope and then mailed it through FedEx.

Police said that the victim became suspicious after sending the money, searched the address and found out it was a residential address and not a bank.

After the victim couldn’t reach anyone at FedEx because they were closed, he called local law enforcement, who told him to call PSLPD.

In Florida, officers were able to find the local FedEx distribution and take the package before it was delivered, and detectives set up a plan to lure Romans and Dorcena to the delivery location.

With the help of FedEx employees, the package was delivered to the Port St. Lucie address, and detectives saw the two suspects arrive in a Hyundai SUV.

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Romans was seen getting out of the car, while Dorcena, who was the driver, stayed behind.

Body camera footage captured the two being arrested by police.

Police said they also spoke to the resident of the drop-off address, who told them he knew the suspects, and that Dorcena asked him if he could have a package delivered to his home, but not to open it.

The resident was not suspected of knowing what was being delivered to his home.

During a search of their vehicle, officers found around 17 grams of marijuana.

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The two remain at the St. Lucie County Jail with no bond.

A check with the victim’s money will be sent to him.



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Central Florida sees surge in food aid requests as WIC delays hit vulnerable households

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Central Florida sees surge in food aid requests as WIC delays hit vulnerable households


ORLANDO, Fla. – More than 420,000 Floridians use WIC, according to a 2024 USDA report — the fourth highest number in the country.

However, those benefits are delayed for many in Central Florida due to the government shutdown, leaving families without a way to pay for baby formula and nutritional food for their children.

Destiny Perez-Prado is trying to figure out how she’s going to feed her seven children this month since her WIC and SNAP benefits are delayed.

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“It’s still just heartbreaking, you know, to think that for Thanksgiving, we might not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving — you know, have the food that we need, food that would be typically accessible to us,” Perez-Prado said.

Her benefits pay for around $800 in groceries each month, and WIC specifically covers her more expensive items like baby formula, Pediasure, and other nutritional foods.

“It’s so expensive. Just a can of formula — the cheapest is $28, I believe. And it’s crazy. Some kids need specialized formulas,” she said.

Between being a single mother, college student, and self-employed, Perez-Prado says getting a second job to afford groceries is nearly impossible.

“I have two children with autism — a little girl and a little boy — and then my third with ADHD. So for that, you know, it’s hard for me to keep a consistent job, even with my degree,” she explained.

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One Heart for Women and Children is stepping in to help Perez-Prado. Founder Stephanie Bowman says about 30,000 people in Orange County use WIC — and many of them now need extra help.

“We’ve had 500 calls just this week from individuals we’ve never seen or heard from before,” Bowman said.

One Heart typically helps around 20,000 people per month, but that demand is rising due to the shutdown.

“What we’ve had to do is give families less food — and we never want to do that. But we want to make sure that every individual who comes to us can get food,” Bowman added.

Perez-Prado says she’s working to become financially stable one day, but right now her priority is feeding her kids.

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“You know, they still deserve to eat. They’re babies — they didn’t ask to be here. And even if we as parents didn’t go about it the way certain people think we should to avoid problems like this, it’s still a problem. We’re still here, and we still need help,” she said.

If you’d like to donate to help out, click here.

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food

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‘It’s unfair:’ SNAP cuts leave Central Florida seniors struggling for food


OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – SNAP benefits for thousands of families here in Central Florida are cut off, leaving many scrambling to afford the food they need, including local seniors. Many have medical needs that require special diets, and they say food banks just can’t always meet them.

“Being a citizen and being on the income that I’m on—it is hard. To tell you the truth, it’s unfair,” said senior Shirley Williford, who is among those impacted by the delay.

On Saturday, Williford and another local senior, Kim Augenstein, received notifications that their SNAP benefits for November would be pushed back. For Williford, who lives on a fixed income and doesn’t have transportation, it’s a nightmare.

“I only have high blood pressure. I kind of went on a diet myself. The food that I need for my diet—I’m not going to be able to get it,” Williford said.

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Augenstein, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, said losing those benefits could put her health at risk. “When you’re almost a diabetic or you are a diabetic, you have to have that food for your insulin. If you go without food, that’s a big problem,” she said.

[VIDEO: Central Florida food programs face challenges as federal SNAP support stops]

Now, the seniors are relying on local organizations in Osceola County, such as Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries and the Black Empowerment and Community Council, which are already seeing a rising demand.

“Families are already so tight with money and resources. For us to be at this critical time, it’s important that we rally together,” said Tiffany Jeffers with the Black Empowerment and Community Council.

But those groups say the ongoing government shutdown is also limiting the resources they can offer. “The grant writers keep saying we can’t do this one or that one. So many programs are being cut. Some of the grants we would normally get—recurring grants—we’re no longer getting, and that’s definitely because of government funding,” said Doreen Barker, founder of Clarita’s House Outreach Ministries.

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In the meantime, seniors are helping each other by sharing rides and picking up groceries—but they’re still hoping the shutdown ends soon.

“I don’t think it needs to be cut down. It doesn’t need to be cut off—because I depend on those food stamps,” Williford said.

The Black Empowerment and Community Council is partnering with Solid Rock Community Church in Kissimmee and AARP next week to distribute food and resources to those impacted by the SNAP delays.

Copyright 2025 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.

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