The NCAA brackets haven’t even been out for a full day yet, but analysts are already making their first wave of predictions. With so many possible outcomes and so many variables in play, every analyst has a different opinion and trying to sort out all the noise can be a nightmare.
With that in mind, there seems to be one area that analysts are in near agreement on: that the Florida Gators got a very favorable bracket placement on Sunday. After losing to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Championship Game on Sunday, the Gators still received a No. 2 seed while Kentucky received a No. 4 seed. This seeding means that the Gators will play its first two games in Tampa, which is a huge advantage as home teams gain around a 2-3 point boost over their competition.
Anything can happen once March Madness begins, but Florida appears to be one of the favorites in the Southeast Region. SB Nation’s expert Chris Dobbertean predicts the Gators will beat No. 5 Kansas State in the Regional Final, while the New York Times’ Nate Silver has designed statistical models that suggest the Gators will reach the Regional Final game but lose to Pittsburgh.
The Gators did just suffer a hard loss to Kentucky, but their bracket placement should provide the team with a large boost going into the NCAA Tournament. Make sure to give them plenty of consideration when filling out your printable office bracket.
For more coverage of the Gators, check out Alligator Army, SB Nation’s Florida blog.