Florida vs Utah Predictions, Odds & Picks (Thursday, Aug 31)
- The No. 14 Utah Utes are 7-point home favorites over the Florida Gators in their NCAA football game on Thursday, August 31
- Florida is 2-0 straight up all-time against Utah, covering as 2.5-point home underdogs last season
- Read below for Florida vs Utah predictions, odds and picks for Thursday’s Week 1 college football game
The Utah Utes couldn’t beat the Florida Gators last year as 2.5-point road favorites. Florida held serve at home and won outright 29-26.
This year, oddsmakers are making the Utes the 7-point home chalk in their rematch with the Gators, the NCAA football season opener for both schools. The Utes were 5-1 against the spread as a home favorite last season.
Let’s dive into the Florida vs Utah odds and offer you our prediction for this college football Week 1 showdown.
Florida vs Utah Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Gators | +220 | +7 (-120) | Over 46.5 (-110) |
| Utah Utes | -270 | -7 (+100) | Under 46.5 (-110) |
In the Florida vs Utah odds, the Utes are -270 moneyline favorites, giving them a 72.97% implied win probability. The total is set at 46.5 points.
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Odds as of August 27 at DraftKings. Be sure to claim a DraftKings promo code to bet on Gators vs Utes and other college football Week 1 action this week.
Utah has never beaten Florida. The Gators also topped the Utes 38-29 at home in Week 12 of the 1977 season but failed to cover as 31-point favorites, meaning the chalk is 0-2 ATS in this series. This will be the first meeting between the two schools with Utah as the home team. The Utes are 14-0 SU in their last 14 home games.
Kickoff for this game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, August 31 is set for 8:00pm ET. The broadcast is being carried by ESPN.
Gators vs Utes Betting Splits
The college football public betting splits are truly in an uncertain mode. Spread splits see 58% of handle on Utah and 53% of bets going for Florida. The Gators are 4-2 ATS in their last six games. There’s a similar division in the moneyline splits. The Gators at +220 are the pick of 54% of handle. Utah, though, is drawing 67% of bets at -270. Florida is 2-5 SU over the past seven games.
Even total bettors can’t decide. There’s 67% of handle going with the under and 75% of bets liking the over. Utah’s last three games all went over, while three of Florida’s last four games went under.
Utah is the 17th betting choice in the National Championship odds at +5000. Florida is given a line of +12500 in this betting market. Florida’s 2023 NCAA win total odds are set at 5.5. Over is worth +130, while under grabs the favored betting line of -150.
Will Rising Be Rising To The Occasion?
Even though the status of Utah QB1 Cam Rising remains uncertain due to the ACL injury he suffered last season, the spread on this game has lengthened from Utes -4.5 to Utah -7. Rising is continuing to rehab, but it’s possible that head coach Kyle Whittingham will be making a game-time decision on Rising’s playing status.
This is worrisome for the Utes, because #2 QB Brandon Rose is definitely out through injury. Third-stringer is junior Bryson Barnes, a 2020 walk-on. Nate Johnson, a redshirt last season, is another option.
Here's everything Kyle Whittingham had to say about Cam Rising after @Utah_Football's final day of fall camp. #GoUtes #UtahFootball pic.twitter.com/i4IU9cAff7
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) August 22, 2023
With Rising under center, Utah threw for 249.2 yards per game last season, good for 50th in the FBS). Offensively, the Utes ranked 17th in the nation (466.9 yards per game). They were also the #11 rushing offense (217.7 YPG) and the #11 scoring offense (38.6 points per game). An effective third-down offense, Utah converted 50.3% of third downs, good for eighth in college football.
The Utes got the job done on both sides of the ball. They ranked 27th in the FBS on defense (334.1 yards allowed per game) and #27 in scoring defense (21.4 PPG). Utah was #11 in the NCAA at stopping the run, allowing 111.4 YPG. Utah was the 14th-best third-down defense (31.5%).
Gators Preparing For All Possibilities
From the Florida perspective, they are preparing their defense to face any and all options at QB for Utah. The Gators will be undergoing their own transition at QB. Graham Mertz is the heir apparent to NFL first-round pick Anthony Richardson.
Inside #Gators QB Graham Mertz’s practice🔥🐊
pic.twitter.com/HEKN0Fmvcp— ChompCentral (@ChompCentral) August 27, 2023
The Gators were an opportunistic defense in 2022. Their +8 turnover ratio ranked #18 in FBS. Running the ball was another matter. Florida finished 100th in the nation, gaining 175.2 YPG. The Gators set as an offseason goal to increase overall team speed, both from within and through recruiting.
Florida vs Utah Prediction
Rising threw for 20 touchdowns against five interceptions and a 63.8% completion percentage last season. He was first-team All Pac-12 and is a difference maker.
Barnes played well when he played, beating Washington State. But with doubts about Rising’s status, you have to take the Gators and the points.
Florida vs Utah Pick: Florida +7 (-110)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
