The 14th-ranked Utah Utes face a potential hurdle right off the bat Thursday when they host the Florida Gators to kick off their college football seasons. The Gators come off their second straight losing season (6-7) and lost 30-3 to Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl. However, they are 2-0 all-time against the Utes, including a 29-26 victory in last season's opener. The Utes went 10-4 in 2022 and finished the season ranked 10th in the nation after a 35-21 loss to Penn State in the Rose Bowl.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utes are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Florida vs. Utah SportsLine consensus odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 44.5.
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The model knows Utah has won 28 straight non-conference home games, and their only loss in their past 24 overall at Rice-Eccles came with no fans during the pandemic. The Utes averaged 46.7 points at home last season. Starting quarterback Cam Rising is doubtful (ACL), but Bryson Barnes has managed the offense well in 13 starts, and Nate Johnson is a potential star. Utah is averaging 5.5 yards per carry since 2021, best in FBS.
The model also knows the Gators should have the offense to compete with anyone. Quarterback Anthony Richardson is gone after going fourth overall in the 2023 NFL draft, but Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz will take over. Mertz completed 60% of his passes and threw 38 touchdown passes in three seasons with the Badgers, and he is surrounded by weapons. The Gators averaged 5.5 yards per carry last season, and senior Ricky Pearsall had 661 receiving yards.
Now, the model has set its sights on Florida vs. Utah. We can tell you it is leaning Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college football picks!
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