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One of the deepest conferences in the country kicks off its tournament on Wednesday. 

With five ranked teams and a handful of other NCAA Tournament bubble teams, the SEC’s bracket will be about as competitive as any. 

The 16-team tournament will be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., with strong clubs like Texas and Kentucky getting going right off the bat. 

No. 1-seeded Florida, which also went on to win the NCAA Tournament last season, will look to defend its SEC title as the heavy favorite once they take the court after enjoying its bye through the first two rounds.

With how they’re playing recently, it looks as if the Gators are primed to do it again. 

Florida has just five losses on the season, all of which could have easily gone the other way. 

All of those defeats came by single digits, while four of them, including losses to powerhouses Duke and UConn, came by four points or fewer. 

But it’s what they’ve done over the past month and a half that should make college basketball bettors bullish. 

The Gators haven’t lost since Jan. 24, and they’ve had some impressive victories along the way.

They’ve blown out fellow SEC contenders Alabama and Arkansas by 20-plus points in Gainesville while stealing wins on the road against Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Texas. 

Florida is peaking at the right time. 

Look for the Gators to take the SEC once again, giving flashbacks to the mid-2000s juggernaut that won two straight national championships.

The play: Florida to win the SEC Tournament (-175, FanDuel Sportsbook)

Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.