Outside of Tre Mann, the Gators have been slumping. They've covered just two of their last nine games. Virginia Tech is more balanced and should be able to hurt Florida on the boards. The Hokies beat Villanova and Virginia this season and should be higher than a No. 10 seed. Back Virginia Tech.

Florida has failed to cover its last four games, losing three, and barely beating Vanderbilt (+8.5). The Gators somehow beat West Virginia in Morgantown but came back in their next game to lose at home to South Carolina (+7.5). That is my immediate thought about the Gators: inconsistency. Virginia Tech had COVID-19 issues to deal with that slowed momentum from a great season, but I think another week of practice does the Hokies well in this spot. I bet Virginia Tech.

No. 7 Gators vs. No. 10 Hokies in South Region first-round play. Maybe no Power 5 school had its season more disrupted by COVID than Tech, which has played only three games since Feb. 7. In addition, the team remains without a key rotation guy in Jalen Cone. The guard averaged 9.2 points off the bench (started four games), hitting 34.9% of his 3-point attempts. Florida, meanwhile, at least enters having played a mostly normal schedule if not playing great of late. KenPom ranks the Gators No. 37 nationally and the Hokies 50th. That's enough for me in a pick'em.