Georgia opened as 1 ½ point favorite, but the line has crept up to 2 or 2 ½ points, depending upon the book. The squares are split, playing the Bulldogs at just better than 50%. You can compare the odds on this game and all games from multiple sportsbooks on our college football spreads page of the site.
The Gators have dominated this series for some time. In the past two years, Florida won by a combined score of 90-27. Of course that was with Tim Tebow at quarterback, but the Gator domination dates back well before Tebow. Florida is 17-3 straight up against the Bulldogs since 1990, and considering the Gators are getting a couple points, winning the game straight up is all we’re looking for.
The situational stats against the spread also support a play on Florida. Over the past 3 seasons, Florida is 5-1 ats on a neutral field, 4-0 coming off a bye, but only 0-1 as an underdog, which came against Alabama earlier this season. Over the same time frame, Georgia is 2-2 on a neutral field, 11-11 as a favorite, 7-13 against conference opponents, 3-6 after 2 or more straight up wins, and 6-9 against teams with a winning record.
One reason for Georgia being favored is that the Bulldogs are on a 3 game winning streak, while the Gators are on a 3 game slide. But consider who Georgia has beaten: Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky – 3 of the worst teams in the SEC. Granted, Georgia is much better with A.J. Green, but they haven’t faced a defense like Florida’s all season long. Now consider who has beaten Florida: Alabama, LSU, and Mississippi State – three ranked teams. The last 2 games came at home, which was surprising, but they were both close. And the level of competition has been much stiffer. Florida comes in as the battle tested team, not Georgia.
It’s hard to imagine Florida dropping 4 games in a row, especially with such a talented roster. The Gators are coming off a bye, so that will certainly help. As noted above, Florida is perfect off a bye over the past 3 seasons. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Urban Meyer and company can lick their wounds and get ready to take on a team they’ve had a great deal of success against.
Both teams will be welcoming back significant contributors. The Bulldogs will have running back Caleb King. Florida gets back speedy receiver Chris Rainey.
Although both of these teams have failed to live up to expectations and nobody is really talking about either one, don’t forget about this game. Florida has a definite advantage. The game is played in Jacksonville, which is much closer to Gainesville than Athens. The Gators have been the better team in the series, and the situational numbers recommend fading Georgia. Florida is coming off the bye with a more talented team, and they’ve played a much tougher schedule. It’s surprising that they’re getting points here, but don’t argue. Take a few points and back the Gators.
Maddux Sports keeps making big money for their clients. The professionals at Maddux have been dominating the oddsmakers this year. If you’ve been struggling to figure out the spreads, stop pulling your hair out and wasting your money. Saturday their 20 unit pac ten conference game of the year goes and this will be another easy winner. Sign up for guaranteed, premium football picks to ensure a profitable weekend.
