The Florida Gators are one of the highest ranked teams left in the NCAA Tournament, and they are going to be putting that on the line when we make our March Madness picks for the Sweet 16 against the Marquette Golden Eagles.

2012 Sweet 16 Matchup: #4 Florida Gators vs. #1 Marquette Golden Eagles
West Region Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
Sweet 16 Date/Time: Thursday, March 22nd, 10:15 p.m.
Wisconsin vs. Marquette Television Coverage: TBS

Key #1: The Gators need to make sure that they get their shots to fall
It’s really hard for the Gators to get the job done when they aren’t hitting their three-point shots, and they are going to have to make sure that they are consistently going to be on from the outside. The team took 28 three-point shots in the win against the Norfolk State Spartans, and they took 23 from long range against the Virginia Cavaliers. The good news for UF is that it was able to finish off Virginia because it had such a terrible shooting game as well. However, if you look at what the Gators are doing from inside of the three-point arc, they are shooting a whopping 76.4 percent. Numbers like that just don’t happen for most teams, and UF won’t be able to stay like that either if it is forced to come inside because those outside shots aren’t falling.

Sweet 16 Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Florida Gators +1.5
Marquette Golden Eagles -1.5
Over/Under 145.5
Click Here to Bet Your Sweet 16 Picks!

Key #2: Jae Crowder has to be strong in the post
It is going to be really hard for the Gators to stop the Golden Eagles if Crowder is really doing everything that he has the capability to do. Florida just doesn’t have the forwards to be able to take care of Crowder, and if he can get it in foul trouble, Head Coach Billy Donovan is going to have to go really deep on his bench, something that he really isn’t capable of doing. Crowder had 17 points and 13 boards to put aside the Murray State Racers, another team that really didn’t have the forwards to be able to stick with him. This was the fifth straight double-double for Crowder, and he is averaging 17.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this year. There just isn’t anyone big enough on the Gators to contend with Crowder when he is at his best, especially with Will Yeguete on the shelf for the rest of the season.

Key #3: One of these teams has to really take advantage of its tourney experience
Marquette really learned a lot about the dance last year when it made it into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The offense really didn’t do all that well last year in the entire dance, coming up with no more than 66 points in any of its three games in this tournament. However, this is going to be a very interesting contest though, because the Gators, with the likes of Kenny Boynton are going to be on the other side of the court. Both teams have struggled at this type of juncture in the tourney though, and whichever team is really ready to step up and take the bull by the horns will probably be the one that makes it into the Elite 8.

Click Here to get the best March Madness picks that you’ll find on the internet, including our NCAA Tournament picks and the Sweet 16 picks for the rest of the NCAA Tournament game odds.

Current Alabama @ Florida Game Odds Can Be Found Below

When Tim Tebow was roaming the field for the Florida Gators, it was seemingly an annual game that they played against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game. This year in Gainesville, the stakes aren’t quite as high as they once were years ago with both SEC and National Championship implications on the line, but this is still definitely one of the biggest games of the year.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators Picks & Info
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators Date: Saturday, October 1st
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL
Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators Spread: Florida Gators +7

The Gators are most certainly a shadow of the team that had Tebow and a slew of other talented stars on it, but so too, are the Crimson Tide. RB Mark Ingram had a great career in Tuscaloosa, especially against Florida, but now, the job is left to RB Trent Richardson. The speedy back has shown all sorts of potential, and now that the backfield is his alone, we are expecting big time things. This is definitely going to be a big time test for new QB AJ McCarron, who looked good in relief a season ago. This is the second road game for Alabama on the season, and if the first one is lost against the Penn State Nittany Lions, this could be a National Championship make or break situation.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Florida Gators Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Alabama 31 – Florida 6
2009: Alabama 32 – Florida 13
2008: Florida 31 – Alabama 20
2006: Florida 28 – Alabama 13
2005: Alabama 31 – Florida 3
1999: Alabama 34 – Florida 7
1999: Alabama 40 – Florida 39
1998: Florida 16 – Alabama 10
1996: Florida 45 – Alabama 30

Florida has its normal cupcakes to start the season, but this is where things are going to be getting a bit tricky. The Gators not only have to deal with Alabama on October 1st, but LSU, Auburn, and Georgia immediately thereafter. This is the only home game from September 17th until November 5th, and to say that it is a must win game for first year Head Coach Will Muschamp is an understatement. QB John Brantley was a wreck last year in big games for the most part, and this is going to be his first chance with his new offense to really be tested against a significantly better team. Alabama has one of the best defenses in the nation year in and year out, and this year shouldn’t be an exception. This is why the Gators are such hefty home underdogs, something that we don’t normally see.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Florida Gators Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/30/11):
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Alabama Crimson Tide (-7) @ Florida Gators

The SEC East really started to take a turn last season when the mighty Florida Gators finally fell from the top of the division down to the rest of the pack, and the up and coming South Carolina Gamecocks finally had their day. These two will meet for the second straight season in what could possibly be considered the SEC East Championship Game.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Date: Saturday, November 12th, 2011
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC
Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Spread: South Carolina Gamecocks -6.5

The Gators were really shell shocked last season when they were beaten at home by the Cocks with the SEC East crown on the line. This is going to be an incredibly important game for Head Coach Will Muschamp as he tries to restore order in Gainesville for the blue and orange. QB John Brantley had a terrible game when these two met last November, accounting for just 130 yards on 16-of-31 passing with an INT and no scores. In fact, things got so bad that Head Coach Urban Meyer decided to use plenty of Jordan Reed and Trey Burton under center. Needless to say, there is definitely a lot of sour taste in the mouths of the Gators right now that needs to be washed out.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: South Carolina 36 – Florida 14
2009: Florida 24 – South Carolina 14
2008: Florida 56 – South Carolina 6
2007: Florida 51 – South Carolina 31
2006: Florida 17 – South Carolina 16
2005: South Carolina 30 – Florida 22
2004: Florida 48 – South Carolina 14
2003: Florida 24 – South Carolina 22
2002: Florida 28 – South Carolina 7
2001: Florida 54 – South Carolina 17
2000: Florida 41 – South Carolina 21
1999: Florida 20 – South Carolina 3
1998: Florida 33 – South Carolina 14
1997: Florida 48 – South Carolina 21
1996: Florida 52 – South Carolina 25

Head Coach Steve Spurrier did his share of beating the snot out of the Gamecocks when he was coaching Florida, but for the first time since leaving Gainesville, he was able to win a game at Florida Field against the team that he guided to national prominence. It was also the first time that the Gamecocks had ever won the SEC East, and just the second time that they had beaten the Gators since the SEC starting having a championship game. QB Stephen Garcia really needs this one though, because he was brought here to Columbia to beat the Gators and put the Gamecocks on the map. He’s still just 1-2 in his three seasons against Florida though, including getting beaten pretty badly in 2009 in Columbia. It almost seems odd that SC is the favored side in this one, but it is pretty clear, especially after watching RB Marcus Lattimore account for well over 200 total yards on the ground last season in Gainesville, that the Gamecocks do have the better of these two teams. It’s only a matter if they can exorcize the demons of history and take care of the Gators for a second straight season.

Florida Gators @ South Carolina Gamecocks Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/20/11):
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Florida Gators (+6.5) @ South Carolina Gamecocks

For years, the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers have put on some absolutely epic performances, including a number of upsets of teams ranked No. 1 in the country. This year, the Bayou Bengals could be sporting an awfully high ranking when the once mighty Gators come to town, and this should be a clash that you won’t want to miss, as both of these teams could be vying for their respective places in the SEC Championship Game as a result.

Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Picks & Info
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Date: Saturday, October 8th
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers Spread: LSU Tigers -7.5

This could be the start of an ugly decline to the season for the Gators, as this in the second of four straight horrendous games on the slate. Head Coach Will Muschamp knows that QB John Brantley is going to be under the gun going against a stout LSU defense, and that this will be his toughest task of the season. The biggest problem that UF has is that there is no time to prepare for this game, which comes just a week after the home date with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The defense for UF is going to have to be big in this one, because if the Bayou Bengals get into the high 20s or the low 30s, this one is as good as finished.

Florida Gators vs. LSU Tigers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: LSU 33 – Florida 29
2009: Florida 13 – LSU 3
2008: Florida 51 – LSU 21
2007: LSU 28 – Florida 24
2006: Florida 23 – LSU 10
2005: LSU 21 – Florida 17
2004: LSU 24 – Florida 21
2003: Florida 19 – LSU 7
2002: LSU 36 – Florida 7
2001: Florida 44 – LSU 15
2000: Florida 41 – LSU 9
1999: Florida 31 – LSU 10
1998: Florida 22 – LSU 10
1997: LSU 28 – Florida 21
1996: Florida 56 – LSU 13
1995: Florida 28 – LSU 10

We’re going to talk a lot about the Tigers in these Top 25 games this year, as they have a slew of big time games that could decide their season. This is a spooky spot for Head Coach Les Miles and company, though. Florida is going to be a vitally dangerous opponent, and with games having already been played against Oregon, Mississippi State, and West Virginia, this could be a huge letdown spot in the schedule. Even with the loss of DB Patrick Peterson, the Bayou Bengals are still going to be amongst the top teams defensively in the nation, and we expect to see even better numbers than the 311.9 yards per game that this unit allowed last season. This is a game that the Tigers shouldn’t lose, but the way that this series has gone with a slew of road teams winning over the years, you just don’t really ever know.

Florida Gators @ LSU Tigers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/17/11):
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Florida Gators (+7.5) @ LSU Tigers

The “World’s Largest Cocktail Party” is always one of the best games of the season, and after a fantastic game last year at Ever Bank Stadium, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida Gators are sure to have another great tussle this season.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Picks & Info
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Location: Ever Bank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL
Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators Spread: Florida Gators pk

The Bulldogs really should have won this game last season after storming back from a 21-10 deficit in the third quarter to force overtime. QB Aaron Murray was just a very young freshman when he came into that game against the Gators, but he came out with some battle scars that made him a significantly better signal caller for the rest of the year. Murray is definitely the real deal and is going to probably have a career that rivals that of the departed Matt Stafford. WR AJ Green is no longer on the roster, but there is no doubt that Murray is going to be the key to a rebuilding bunch of Dawgs.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: Florida 34 – Georgia 31
2009: Florida 41 – Georgia 17
2008: Florida 49 – Georgia 10
2007: Georgia 42 – Florida 30
2006: Florida 21 – Georgia 14
2005: Florida 14 – Georgia 10
2004: Georgia 31 – Florida 24
2003: Florida 16 – Georgia 13
2002: Florida 20 – Georgia 13
2001: Florida 24 – Georgia 10
2000: Florida 34 – Georgia 23
1999: Florida 30 – Georgia 14
1998: Florida 38 – Georgia 7
1997: Georgia 37 – Florida 17
1996: Florida 47 – Georgia 7
1995: Florida 52 – Georgia 17

The Gators are definitely in a rebuilding mode as well this year. Head Coach Will Muschamp is bringing in an entirely new offensive system by using former Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis. This is great news for QB John Brantley, who was lost trying to run the Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow type of offense. The question is whether a very, very young defense is going to be able to stop these Dawgs. We’re not overly optimistic. The good news is that there are two months of the season before this game comes up on the slate, but we’re not so sure that this season is going to really end up going the way of the orange and blue, especially if this game against the Bulldogs is lost after dominating this series for so many years.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/16/11):
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Georgia Bulldogs (pk) @ Florida Gators

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One of the best programs over the past few years, the Florida Gators, reaches the end of an era on Saturday afternoon at the Outback Bowl, as Head Coach Urban Meyer is going to step down when this one is over. For Head Coach Joe Paterno, even at 81 years young, he’s still kicking strong and ready to make this college football betting affair the start of something bigger in Happy Valley. The keys to the game at the Outback Bowl are as follows…

Key #1: UF has to really want to win this one for Meyer
Last year, we saw the Gators pull the same type of stunt. Meyer said that he was stepping down at the end of the Sugar Bowl against the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the end result was an absolutely dominating performance against a previously undefeated team. The difference this year is that there isn’t a man named QB Tim Tebow there on the sidelines pushing the team to do its best. Can QB John Brantley do it? Can RB Jeff Demps do it? Can Mr. Do It All Trey Newton do it? We just find ourselves at a loss for where the confidence on the sidelines. We know that the Nittany Lions never have a problem with motivation, as they came to the table last year in the Capital One Bowl against the LSU Tigers and won a game in a brutal rainstorm after failing to make it to the Rose Bowl.

Key #2: Evan Royster has to finish up his career in strong fashion
Simply put, if you have a one dimensional offense against the Gators, you’re in a ton of trouble, especially if that one dimension is the pass and your quarterback is a sophomore with about half of a season of experience. The Nittany Lions weren’t really efficient this year on the ground, averaging just 143.4 yards per game. Royster was really supposed to explode in this, his senior season, but it just never really happened. Amazingly, after running for over 2,400 yards over the course of the last two years, the senior only had 916 yards and six trips to the end zone this year. We’ve seen some huge games out of Royster before, but he hasn’t had a game with more than 85 yards on the ground since November 6th against the lowly Northwestern Wildcats. Now, he’s going against a defense that held teams to just 121.8 yards per game on the ground. The Gators did have some big time letdowns this year against teams that can run the rock like the LSU Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide, so this is an attainable task. Royster has to have one of the best games of his career, though.

Key #3: One of the explosive stars for the Gators has to get the job done
NCAA football betting fans keep asking the questions about what the difference is between this year’s team and last year’s squad. Contrary to popular belief though, it’s not just Tim Tebow. The rest of the big time threats for this squad are still here. RB Jeff Demps had a few great plays this year, but he only ultimately averaged 6.0 yards per carry when push came to shove. It’s a great number, but when you consider the fact that there are three carries of at least 65 yards on the year, it would only bring this average down around 3.5 yards per carry. WR Chris Rainey was expected to be used on the ground a lot as well, but his suspension halfway through the season took him out of the fold, too. Trey Burton might be the man that can do this as well. He had 12 total TDs this year and will touch the ball a ton of times in this game as a runner, a receiver, and potentially as a passer. Someone just needs to explode and this offense needs to play quick, something that it hasn’t done all season long, to succeed.

The college football betting world has been waiting for this day all year, and here at Bankroll Sports, we are zooming in on the props on the card on Saturday that are worth backing. Be sure to sign up for an account at Hollywood Sportsbook for the best NCAA props on the internet!

Texas/Rice Longest Touchdown Over/Under 57.5 Yards
This is quite the interesting prop to back in this game. HC Mack Brown has made the vow that he is going to use the rushing game more this year, especially considering the strength of his plethora of running backs. Without WR Jordan Shipley in the fold, QB Garrett Gilbert is probably going to see his playbook thumbed down quite a bit. The Longhorns are going to be perfectly content to get out of this game with a modest score line even though that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons against the Owls. Rice hasn’t even formally named a starting quarterback yet, and three different players could be in the rotation by the time it is said and done. That being said, we tend to believe that the longest touchdown will be Under 57.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) more than at least 55 percent of the time.

Florida Gators Over/Under 45 Points
The Gators are going to want to make one heck of a statement in this game. We tend to believe that the rushing combination of RBs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps is going to go wild for the Gators, but the man that we are really keeping an eye on is QB John Brantley. Many think that Brantley has a better arm than the departed QB Tim Tebow, and HC Urban Meyer is going to be out to prove a point that his Gators are going to be National Championship contenders once again this year. Though even beating lowly Miami by 70 points wouldn’t ultimately decide the season, we tend to believe that this 45 point barrier is significantly too low. Look for the Gators to go Over 45 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Saturday afternoon.

Oregon State Beavers Over/Under 18.5 Points
We know that the Horned Frogs have one heck of a defense, but this is an Oregon State team we are speaking of that has the potential to bust plays wide open at the drop of a hat. The Beavers have two very, very dangerous threats in RB Jacquizz Rodgers and his brother, WR James Rodgers, and though they are going to have to adapt to a new quarterback, that doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to find pay dirt. HC Mike Riley knows what he is doing at this level, and he is going to have his boys ready to take on this defense in what could be the most important game of the year. TCU is rightfully favored by double digits in this game, but that doesn’t mean that the Beavs won’t be able to drop at least three tuddies on the board. Oregon State will go Over 18.5 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) and could threaten to pull off a big upset. Don’t be afraid to go with the Longest Touchdown of the Oregon State/TCU game Over 48.5 yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) either.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Over/Under 33.5 Points
The Irish are in their first game under new HC Brian Kelly, but that doesn’t mean that they are guaranteed to all of a sudden run up and down the field and cripple what the offense did last year. Don’t get us wrong, this is still a very talented team offensively. QB Dayne Crist has a ton of potential, and WR Michael Floyd, TE Zach Rudolph, and RB Armando Allen are amongst some of the most talented skill position players in the country. However, you don’t just immediately replace QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate and think that your offense is going to be able to drop five TDs in a game against a Big Ten opponent. Purdue is going to challenge Notre Dame in this game every step of the way, so we don’t think that a blowout is in the cards. All that being said, we don’t like the Irish offense in this game to do this much damage. Go with Notre Dame Under 33.5 points (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Junior Hemingway Over/Under 2 Receptions
My, what a sucker prop this is! Hemingway only went over two receptions in a game twice all of last season and he had two games in which he pushed that two. Yes, this is a man that could really stretch the field for the Wolverines, but it is tough to get him the football for the various Michigan quarterbacks. There has just been no continuity on this offense yet this year, which is going to cause a rotation of QBs under center for HC Rich Rodriguez. Parlay all of that with the fact that the Huskies are going to try their best to milk the clock and make this game as short as possible with the rushing abilities of RB Jordan Todman, and the recipe is ripe for fewer plays than normal in this game. It looks so enticing to take a receiver at this level over two receptions, as it only requires three little dump passes to produce a winner. Trust us that it won’t happen more often than not. Hemingway will go Under 2 receptions (+115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) in this game and in several others this year.