Kentucky came into Saturday’s game against Florida ranking third in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.99). Following a thrilling 106-100 win over the previously undefeated Gators, UK will likely end the day ranked at the very top.

The Wildcats dished out 25 assists to just six turnovers (4.19 ratio) in what was one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season. Kentucky has posted similar figures a handful of times this season, but none of them came against a team as talented as Florida, which had been playing like one of the nation’s top defensive teams over the last few weeks.

“The last six games, (Florida has) the number one analytical half-court defense in the entire country and our guys were 25 assists and six turnovers,” Head coach Mark Pope said postgame. “Like that number guys, I was going to say breathtaking but Lee Anne (Pope) gets mad at me when I say breathtaking. That number is insane. 25 assists, six turnovers against the number one defensive team in the half-court in the country over the last six games, that’s crazy.”

Lamont Butler led the way for Kentucky with eight dimes while a pair of big men, Amari Williams and Andrew Carr, both chipped in five assists each. Seven Wildcats recorded at least one assist. No one had more than two turnovers. Kentucky shot 58 percent from the field as a team and 48 percent from deep.

“I think we trusted in each other, trusted in ourselves, played off two feet, wasn’t going in there wild,” Butler, who turned the ball over just twice, said postgame. “I know I have to continue to work on my turnovers, I think I had some careless ones tonight. It’s a big point of emphasis for us all. We continue to try to be good in that category.”

Respectfully, Lamont, 25 assists to six turnovers is better than just good. That’s a pretty damn impressive stat.

Six turnovers are the second-fewest of the season for Kentucky. 25 assists rank third-most. Including Brandon Garrison, over half (13) of UK’s assists came via the frontcourt — that might be the craziest part about these passing numbers. There were stretches in the second half when Williams was personally carving up the Gators with aggressive (and instinctual) playmaking. Backdoor cuts were easily accessible.

“They were pressing up at first and we found the passes,” Williams said. “We got great cutters, I feel like that’s the best thing about our team. Lamont had a lot of backdoors, Otega (Oweh), Koby (Brea), Jaxson (Robinson). Guys like that cutting, it makes our job a lot easier.”

Pope has emphasized more off-ball movement as of late. His players listened against Florida. The result was a near-flawless offensive performance against a tough SEC defense.

Florida and Kentucky are ready for an important SEC matchup in January Saturday and the odds and predictions are in for the Gators and Wildcats.

Both teams have yet to play an SEC team, but are hot right now. At 13-0, Florida is ranked No. 6 in the country while Kentucky is ranked No. 10 and sports an 11-2 record.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the latest odds and predictions for Florida and Kentucky.

Odds for Florida vs. Kentucky

Coming into the game, Florida is a 3.5 point underdog to Kentucky going to Lexington, per FanDuel. The total is set at 166.5 points.

If you want to bet the moneyline, the Gators are listed at +138 while the Wildcats are listed at -166.

Final score predictions for Florida vs. Kentucky

BPI Predicted winner: Kentucky
BPI Predicted point differential: 3.1
BPI Win probability (for Kentucky): 62.1%
BPI Matchup Quality: 91.8

ESPN’s BPI is a model designed to provide a statistical comparison between two teams and predict future success. Here, the Gators are projected to lose to the Wildcats by a little over three points, so it’s very similar to the Vegas line.

Despite that, this is a highly rated matchup, per ESPN’s BPI. It’s the third highest ranked game of the Saturday slate and the highest ranked SEC matchup.

KenPom Predicted final score: Florida 83, Kentucky 82
KenPom Win probability (for Florida): 52%

KenPom flipped the prediction and picked Florida to win a tight game on the road but one point. The percentage at just over 50% doesn’t inspire much confidence, so this is pretty much a pick ‘em from a betting standpoint.

KenPom is another predictive system for college basketball. It’s designed to show how strong a team is at a given time, without taking factors like injuries into account.

How to watch Florida vs. Kentucky

Time: 11:00 a.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Location: Lexington, Kentucky

Florida and Kentucky are set for a Saturday morning tipoff, so make sure to get your coffee and breakfast done, or ready, and strap in for a high quality basketball matchup. Big Blue will be on display welcoming the Gators.

The game can be found on ESPN nationwide.

Kentucky has some reloading to do in the wide receiver room for 2025. New position coach L’Damian Washington has his eyes on a talented pass-catcher from the Ivy League.

Yale transfer WR David Pantelis announced an offer from the Wildcats on Friday. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound slot receiver is coming off a First-Team All-Ivy League selection that saw him haul in 69 receptions for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns across 11 games played in 2024. For reference, Kentucky as a team had just 15 receiving touchdowns in 2024.

After spending the last four seasons at the FCS level, Pantelis is garnering plenty of Power 4 interest now that he’s exhausted his Ivy League eligibility. He’s also announced offers from the likes of Stanford, Missouri, Michigan, West Virginia, and California. He’s scheduled to visit Michigan soon, according to The Wolverine’s EJ Holland, and could very well make a trip to Lexington as well.

Pantelis has one year of college eligibility remaining.

An All-State wide receiver at Upper St. Clair High School in Pennsylvania (the same school attended by Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz), Pantelis received some light Division I interest before choosing Yale. He was productive right away as a true freshman in 2021, recording three touchdowns on six receptions while filling on special teams. His play continued to improve as a sophomore with 39 catches for 518 yards and a pair of scores.

An injury in 2023 limited Pantelis to just five games played, but he still managed to produce 13 receptions, 125 yards, and a touchdown when healthy. His breakout season would follow as a senior with career-highs across the board. Could he bring those skills to Kroger Field in 2025?