2023 Florida Gators Football Betting Guide for the Season

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No team in the SEC will travel more miles during the 2023 college football season than the Florida Gators. All told, they will travel 9,876 miles round-trip for their road and neutral-site games. That’s 712 miles more than second-place Auburn – and the Tigers have a game in California. Florida opens in Utah (4,400 or so round-trip miles), and they finish their road slate at Missouri (1,006 miles). The Georgia Bulldogs, in contrast, only travel 2,292 miles. Will this make much competitive difference, especially since almost half of the distance comes in Week 1? We will see. In the meantime, let’s break down the Gators’ offense, defense and special teams as you consider your college football betting choices for the coming year.

NCAA Football Betting News: Florida Gators Season Betting Preview

The Gators started 2022 with an eye-opening home win over Utah, but then they stumbled their way to a 6-7 record, so there is plenty of work for Billy Napier to get done during his second year of the Gator rebuild. Quarterback Anthony Richardson and O-line anchor O’Cyrus Torrence have moved on, leaving two sizable holes in the Gator offense, and the defense was one of the worst in the SEC last year. Quarterback Graham Mertz transferred in from Wisconsin, and the Gators have put a tough O-line and a decent group of tailbacks around him.

Napier was able to improve the offense at Louisiana between Years 1 and 2 – going into his second year coaching the Ragin’ Cajuns, his offense increased its scoring average from 31.9 points per game to 37.9. We will see whether Mertz can deliver – he made 32 starts at Wisconsin, and in the spring, he quickly mastered Napier’s system. However, he doesn’t have Richardson’s cannon arm or his elusiveness in the backfield.

Tailbacks Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr ran for 1,560 combined yards and scored 16 touchdowns in 2022. Senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall put up a huge game against Florida State last year, picking up 148 receiving yards and finding the end zone twice up in Tallahassee. The offensive line lost four starters but might be better as a unit, with tackle Austin Barber coming back as the leader after a solid redshirt freshman season.

The Florida defense allowed opponents to convert third downs at a 49.1% clip – the worst figure in the SEC. Florida also permitted 30 or more points in six of their losses. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong comes in to lead the unit, and Memphis transfer Cam Jackson is the best in a group of seven new arrivals for the line. Edge rusher Princely Umanmielen lead the team with 9.5 tackles for loss last year and looks to push that number higher this season. Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr returns for a third season, and Ja’Keem Jackson (a top-60 recruit) is the best of six defensive backs in the incoming recruiting class.

Punter Jeremy Crawshaw averaged 47.9 yards per kick (35 punts), and that would have been second in the nation if he had had enough punts to qualify. Trey Smack, a 2022 signee, and one-time walk-on kicker Adam Mihalek will duel it out for placekicking and kickoff duties.

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