Ashley Moody, Tommy Tuberville make high-stakes bet on Final Four game

U.S. Senators Ashley Moody and Tommy Tuberville are confident that teams from their home states will win in Saturday’s NCAA basketball tilt between Auburn and the University of Florida.

To that end, Moody says that if the Gators win, Tuberville has to “hang a Florida Gator sign” in his Senate office for a full week.

And Tuberville says that Moody would have to hang an Auburn flag in her own office.

“I have full confidence in my Gators,” says Moody, who attended UF for undergraduate and law school both.

Tuberville, who once coached Auburn’s football team, says the key to victory for Auburn is stopping the three point shot.

The Tigers’ record in SEC play is 16-4, and their record is 16-1 against non-conference opponents. Auburn scores 83.2 points while outscoring opponents by 14.0 points per game.

The Gators’ record in SEC action is 17-4. Florida has a 2-1 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

Auburn averages 9.1 made 3-pointers per game, 2.4 more made shots than the 6.7 per game Florida gives up. Florida has shot at a 47.3% rate from the field this season, 6.7 percentage points above the 40.6% shooting opponents of Auburn have averaged.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Gators won 90-81 in the last matchup on Feb. 8. Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators with 19 points, and Miles Kelly led the Tigers with 22 points.

The Gators are favored by 2.5 points at this writing.