Florida Gators vs Missouri Tigers Picks and Predictions March 14th 2025

No. 4 Florida Has High Hopes Ahead of Game vs. No. 21 Missouri

Second-seeded Florida enters the Southeastern Conference tournament with aspirations of improving its NCAA Tournament seeding, while seventh-seeded Missouri is looking to play spoiler when the teams meet in Friday’s quarterfinals in Nashville.

Missouri Aims for Another Upset

No. 21-ranked Missouri (22-10) reached the quarterfinals with an 85-73 victory over 10th-seeded Mississippi State on Thursday. Caleb Grill fueled the Tigers’ win with 22 points and six made three-pointers, while Tamar Bates (25 points) and Tony Perkins (20 points) also contributed heavily.

The Tigers have already proven they can take down Florida, stunning the Gators 83-82 on Jan. 14 in Gainesville. Grill was the hero in that game as well, leading Missouri with a clutch shooting display.

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Missouri coach Dennis Gates believes Florida deserves more respect as one of the top teams in the country.

“They’re a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament,” Gates said. “I don’t know the strength of that No. 1 seed, but they’re one of the top two, three teams in the country, in my eyes. I think no one has given them the amount of credit that they deserve.”

Florida Eyes a No. 1 Seed

No. 4-ranked Florida (27-4) has already secured a high NCAA Tournament seed, but head coach Todd Golden wants more. The Gators are projected as a No. 2 seed but hope an SEC tournament title can vault them onto the No. 1 line.

“To be honest, I think it’s really important to us,” Golden said. “We definitely want the 1 seed, don’t get me wrong. At this point, I think we’re in a really good spot. Pride-wise, we’re going to do everything we can to get this 1 seed.”

Florida went 13-0 in non-conference play and boasts signature SEC wins over two teams ranked No. 1 at the time—Tennessee (73-43 on Jan. 7) and Auburn (90-81 on Feb. 8). The Gators are coming off a dominant 90-71 win over Ole Miss last Saturday.

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Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge against the Rebels, hitting five three-pointers while recording 23 points and eight assists. Alex Condon added 17 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Condon has been on fire, averaging 22 points and 12.5 rebounds over his past two games, including a career-high 27 points in a 99-94 win over then-No. 7 Alabama.

SEC’s Tough Competition

Missouri’s Perkins and Bates both emphasized the competitiveness of the SEC, often referred to as “NBA South” for its talent level.

“You got to come to play every night. I feel like this conference has prepared us and every other team that’s going to hear their name called on Sunday for March Madness,” Bates said.

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“Every game is a battle, regardless of who you’re playing,” Perkins added. “Playing the best team or the worst team in the conference, at the end of the day, every night is a battle.”

Missouri forward Mark Mitchell exited Thursday’s game with a knee injury, and his status remains uncertain for Friday’s matchup.

With Florida aiming to bolster its seeding and Missouri looking for another statement win, expect a hard-fought battle in Nashville.