Todd Golden and Co. open up Florida basketball's 2026-27 home schedule on Thursday night inside the O'Connell Center by hosting the Jacksonville Dolphins.
Florida enters the game as the No. 1 team in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25, while Jacksonville is unranked. The Gators are also the top overall seed in ESPN's preseason bracketology and ranked second in both the preseason Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings and the initial Basketball Power Index, while the Dolphins are not projected for the NCAA Tournament and are No. 228 in the KenPom rankings and No. 237 in the BPI.
Ahead of the Sunshine State showdown at the O'Dome, ESPN's matchup predictor gives Florida an almost-certain 99.0% chance of prevailing. Compare that with
BetMGM's betting odds, which give the Gators a 35.5-point edge with an over/under of 155.5 points.
The Orange and Blue have lost just five times in 38 tries against Jacksonville dating back to 1960. The JU defeated UF came in Gainesville during the 2010 season; Florida has won the last five meetings since.
Florida and Jacksonville tip off UF's home opener on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: ESPN's matchup prediction for Florida's home opener vs Jacksonville
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