Florida vs Georgia Odds and Picks

• Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite over Florida for a pivotal SEC rivalry matchup on Saturday
• These teams have split the last six games in this series, but the Bulldogs have the momentum with three straights wins over Florida
• Read below for a deeper look at this battle for the top spot in the SEC East

With all the uncertainty in the world, it is refreshing to look to the SEC and see stability. In what have become near-yearly traditions, Alabama is building their lead in the SEC West, and Florida and Georgia are getting ready to play their annual rivalry for the lead in the East division.

The Bulldogs opened as 4.5-point favorites, but with the loss of defensive captain Richard LeCounte, their odds have dropped heading into Saturday.

Florida is still the underdog, but the Gators are confident entering this massive matchup.

#8 Florida vs #5 Georgia Week 10 Odds

Odds taken Nov. 5 from FanDuel

Bulldogs Must Count on Other Playmakers

As mentioned, Georgia defensive back, team captain, and arguably most valuable player Richard LeCounte will miss this matchup. He was in a motorcycle accident Halloween night, hours after the Kentucky game.

Thankfully, he avoided catastrophic injury, and was released from the hospital mid-week. He’ll still miss significant time, but the fact that he is out of a hospital room and back in the Georgia training room is a tremendous sign.

This is, however, the reason people are bullish on Florida this week. Bulldog quarterback Stetson Bennett has been good at times, but as Saturday against Kentucky showed, Georgia is a team who gets it done defensively. Without LeCounte, who set a career-high in tackles and recovered a huge fumble to put away the Wildcats, Kirby Smart’s team will have to get leadership from other defensive players.

Christopher Smith is likely to step into LeCounte’s spot, but it will be veterans in Mark Webb, Tyson Campbell, and Eric Stokes that must step into leadership roles on the field.

Florida has an especially potent passing attack, with Kyle Trask posting 335 yards and 4.5 touchdowns per game, so defensive coordinator Dan Lanning will have his work cut out for him.

Gators Firing on All Cylinders

Those aforementioned Trask numbers are truly staggering. Through four games, he has racked up 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns. He hasn’t seen elite defenses, but that doesn’t diminish the production. Those numbers, even against a slate of Missouri, Texas A&M, South Carolina, and Ole Miss, are impressive.

It is worth asking, however, if he can keep it up against a great defense.

If Trask’s 2019 campaign is any sign, then the answer is yes. In his biggest games, Trask was tremendous against national champion LSU, calm and collected against Auburn, and never turned the ball over against Georgia.

The Bulldogs made Trask work for every yard he got, but the young passer was good in a big spot. With just a couple of third-down conversions, we wouldn’t be coming into this week talking about Georgia’s three straight wins over Florida.

What’s the Best Bet?

The loss of LeCounte is huge for Georgia, but defense is not played by one man. It’s not even like offense where a great quarterback or a great back can overcome deficiencies elsewhere. It is without its best player, but this is a unit loaded with the players that have put Georgia near the top of national signing day on a yearly basis under Kirby Smart.

The Bulldogs still field the nation’s fifth-ranked rush defense, giving up under three yards per carry and allowing just one rushing score all year. They’ve been great against the pass as well, allowing just 6.4 yards per attempt in 2020.

Georgia can’t win a shootout with Stetson Bennett, so the gameplan will have to be ball control. The Bulldogs have the backs and the offensive line to run the ball effectively, and this defense won’t fall of in the way that many expect. This game has “under” written all over it.

The Pick: Under 52.5 (-108)