- Matchup: Prairie View A&M Panthers vs Florida Gators
- Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Venue: Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
- Broadcast: TNT
- Betting Line: Prairie View A&M (+35)
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The Prairie View A&M Panthers, with a record of 18-17, are set to compete against the Florida Gators (26-7) this Friday at the Benchmark International Arena for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers are underdogs by 35 points according to betting lines, while the over/under is set at 155 points.
In their previous game, the Prairie View A&M Panthers secured a victory against Lehigh, winning 67-55. The team achieved a field goal percentage of 47.4%, hitting 27 of 57 shots, and converted 3 of 9 attempts from downtown. At the charity stripe, the Panthers scored 10 of 12 for an impressive 83.3%. On the boards, they totaled 34 rebounds, with 7 being offensive. They also recorded 5 assists, forced 15 turnovers, and made 12 steals. Defensively, Prairie View A&M held Lehigh to a shooting percentage of 36.2% (21 of 58). Lehigh managed 11 assists and 5 steals, while collecting 37 rebounds (12 offensive, 25 defensive) without any blocks. They hit 7 of 12 free throw attempts for a shooting percentage of 58.3% and converted 6 of 24 three-pointers. Both teams committed 11 fouls in the match.
Dontae Horne was a standout player, finishing with 25 points on 11 of 22 shooting. He logged 40 minutes and grabbed 7 rebounds, maintaining a 50% shooting rate from the field but had no assists by the game’s end.
The Panthers enter this matchup with a season record of 18-17. They average 78.9 points per game (ranked 103rd in Division 1) and hold a shooting percentage of 44.3%. From beyond the arc, they connect at 33.4% (216 of 646) and achieve 75.3% at the free-throw line. Prairie View A&M gathers 34.0 rebounds per game and has tallied 418 assists this season, ranking 249th for team assists in college basketball. They average 11.9 turnovers and commit 19.1 fouls per game.
On defense, Prairie View A&M forces 15.3 turnovers per game and commits 20.6 fouls. They rank 189th in Division 1 in assists allowed, with a total of 434 given up this season. Opponents shoot 43.7% against them (902 of 2,065), and they allow 37.7 rebounds per contest. The Panthers give up 33.5% shooting from three and rank 238th in points allowed, with an average of 76.1 per game.
The Florida Gators recently faced Vanderbilt and suffered a 91-74 loss. Florida secured 29 defensive rebounds alongside 16 offensive boards, totaling 45 rebounds. They turned the ball over 16 times but managed to nab 9 steals. Vanderbilt was fouled 24 times, sending the Gators to the line for 23 attempts, where they converted 73.9%. From beyond the arc, Florida shot 5 of 17 (29.4%) and their overall field goal percentage was 45.6% (26 of 57). Defensively, the Gators allowed Vanderbilt a shooting percentage of 54.5% (30 of 55) and 47.6% from three, completing 10 of 21 attempts. Florida allowed Vanderbilt to grab 29 rebounds (8 offensive).
Thomas Haugh contributed significantly for the Gators, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes, along with 3 assists and 9 rebounds, while shooting 35.7% (5 of 14) from the field.
The Gators hold a record of 26-7 this season. They average 17.8 personal fouls per game and maintain a free-throw percentage of 71.0%. They facilitate 16.6 assists per game, ranking 37th nationally, while turning the ball over 11.9 times. Florida has amassed 2,864 points this season (86.8 per game) and collects 45.4 rebounds per game. Offensively, they have a shooting percentage of 47.8%, placing them 41st in the nation.
The Gators rank 125th nationally in points allowed per game at 72.0. They force 11.2 turnovers per game and allow opponents to shoot 40.8% from the field (30th in Division 1). Florida’s opponents shoot 32.4% from three-point range (221 of 683) and convert 72.7% from the free-throw line. They relinquish an average of 11.2 assists and 30.9 rebounds per game, ranking 28th and 21st respectively in those categories on the defensive side.
Who will prevail in tonight’s NCAA spread?
Recommendation: Bet on Prairie View A&M (+35)
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