SEC Tournament 2019: Quarterfinals Schedule, Live Stream, Bracket Predictions

Friday will be another massive day for bubble teams at the 2019 SEC tournament. 

Florida and Alabama earned key victories for their respective resumes Thursday, but now they face tougher tests, as the top four programs in the conference enter the fray. 

The Gators have an opportunity to earn a quality win over top-seeded LSU, while the Crimson Tide have a shot at Kentucky. 

In the other two matchups, projected NCAA men's basketball tournament teams Tennessee, Mississippi State, Auburn and South Carolina square off with semifinal spots on the line. 

SEC Tournament Quarterfinal Schedule

No. 1 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida (1 p.m., ESPN) 

No. 4 South Carolina vs. No. 5 Auburn (3 p.m., ESPN) 

No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Alabama (7 p.m., SEC Network) 

No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Mississippi State (9 p.m., SEC Network) 

All games can be live-streamed on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.

Predictions

LSU Wins Rubber Match with Florida

Friday's opener at Bridgestone Arena carries intrigue for a few reasons, as LSU and Florida went to overtime twice in the regular season and the Gators are fighting to secure a spot in the field of 68.

Florida comes into Friday's quarterfinal with a much-needed momentum boost following a win over Arkansas that ended a three-game losing streak. 

However, the Gators face a tough Tigers team looking to double up on the regular-season title it earned Saturday. 

Gary McCullough/Associated Press

The Tigers haven't lost since falling to the Gators in overtime February 20 and they've only lost twice since the calendar flipped to 2019. 

The big question for LSU is if Javonte Smart, who was held out of the regular-season finale because of the ongoing NCAA investigation involving the Tigers, will play. 

The latest update on Smart's status came Thursday afternoon, per WAFB's Jacques Doucet: 

Even if Smart sits out, the Tigers have enough talent in Naz Reid, Tremont Waters, Skylar Mays and Kavell Bigby-Williams to outclass the Gators. 

Reid and Bigby-Williams, who both average over six rebounds per game, will be the X-factors for the Tigers, as they dominate the glass and limit the second-chance opportunities created by the Gators. 

The defeat will keep Florida guessing about its NCAA tournament status, as it's listed as one of the first four teams out by CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm and one of the last four in according to the latest projection from ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi.

Auburn Extends Winning Streak to 6 Games

Auburn drifted off the national radar after three straight losses at the end of January, but Bruce Pearl's team has put itself in a good position to thrive for the rest of March. 

The Tigers enter the quarterfinals after winning their fifth straight game in the first round over Missouri. 

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

During their run, the Tigers knocked off Mississippi State and Tennessee to make a statement to the rest of the SEC they need to be taken seriously in Nashville. 

The combination of Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and Chuma Okeke, who combined for 34 points in the win over Missouri, should overwhelm a South Carolina side playing its first game in close to a week. 

All three of them played well in the regular-season meeting with South Carolina, as Brown and Harper scored 17 points each and Okeke recorded 13 points. 

In order to control the game, the Tigers have to shut down Chris Silva, who reached double digits in points in eight of his last nine games. 

However, there is hope for Auburn's defense since Silva scored five points against Mississippi State and was held to four points by Kentucky. 

If the Tigers play well against South Carolina's top scorer, their winning streak will continue and they'll get a shot to advance to the SEC tournament final. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.