The Florida Gators (6-6) take on the UCF Knights (8-4) in a matchup between the top two teams from the Sunshine State. The Gators got off to a 3-1 start and flirted with the top ten, losing narrowly at home to Alabama. Down the stretch, Florida dropped five of seven before beating Florida State in the regular season finale, and head coach Dan Mullen lost his job. UCF started slowly, limping out to a 3-3 record, but they turned things around in the second half of the season, winning five out of six. These two teams have only met twice, most recently in 2006, when Florida rolled to a 42-0 rout.
Don’t miss our online college football betting predictions for this December showdown.
NCAAF Preview: Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Florida vs UCF
When: Thursday, December 23, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
TV: ESPN
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Hulu
NCAAF Odds: Florida -7.5 / O/U 55.5 // Florida -280 / UCF +230
Why should you bet on the Knights?
UCF was able to transition from a high-powered passing game to a solid running game that takes advantage of opportunities in the short- and medium-range passing game. Ryan O’Keefe emerged as a terrific possession receiver, catching 77 passes for 727 yards. Brandon Johnson, a transfer from Tennessee, only had 38 receptions on the season, but scored on 11 of those, ranked second in the AAC and 11th in the nation.
Florida’s defense had a difficult time, particularly in the second half of the season, which led to Dan Mullen’s firing. Zachary Carter, who led the team in sacks, has opted out of the bowl game to enter the NFL draft. Brenton Cox Jr is now the top pass rusher on the roster, as he finished the year with 7 ½ sacks and had a breakout game against Florida State. Mohamoud Diabate, who led the team in tackles, has entered the transfer portal and will not play. However, safety Rashad Torrence and cornerback Kaiir Elam, both stars in the Gator defense, will play, which could push UCF even more in a running direction.
Why should you put your money on the Gators?
Emory Jones will finish his Florida career in the Gasparilla Bowl before going into the transfer portal. Anthony Richardson will miss the game due to injury, so Jones’ decision to stay and play was important to the Gators’ chances. Jones has had a tough year, with inconsistent passing; he threw three picks against Florida State despite the win. However, his running makes him a dangerous signal-caller. Florida hands the ball to Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce, and expect the Gators to ride the running game hard, as top wideout Jacob Copeland has already entered the transfer portal and will not play.
The UCF offense has some questions to answer, as Mikey Keene had to come on at quarterback, forcing the Knights into more of a run-heavy approach. Tailback Isaiah Bowser and wide receiver Jaylon Robinson have also gone down to injury. The Knights were just seventh in the American Athletic Conference in total offense, so if Florida can limit the big play, then they should be able to minimize what UCF can do to them.
Final Score and Betting Prediction
UCF gets to play Florida at a promising time, as the Gators are in a head coaching transition and have a number of players who have left for the transfer portal or have opted out for the draft. The Gators did play all-out in the finale against Florida State under Greg Knox, the interim head coach, to gain bowl eligibility, but this game simply has a lot more meaning for UCF. I predict a final score of UCF 24, Florida 16.
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