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The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators open their 2024 NCAA football seasons Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Miami vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Hurricanes hit the road to battle the in-state rival Gators. Miami has one of the top transfer portal additions with QB Cam Ward joining the Canes, while the team also added RB Damien Martinez from Oregon State. Casual fans might not be too excited by those moves, but they might be the 2 most important additions in the ACC.
Defensively, the Canes really struggled last season in the secondary, and that’s the biggest question heading into 2024. The front 7 will certainly be stout, and a late addition of Simeon Barrow from Michigan State bolsters the defensive line further.
The Gators won just 5 games last season, and obviously missed a bowl game. Coach Billy Napier heads into the season with a lot of pressure. QB Graham Mertz was surprisingly effective in 2023, and he should jell nicely with WR Eugene Wilson III for big things. RB Montrell Johnson is back to lead the run game.
The Florida defense had a rough time last season, especially trying to stop the run. Like all other programs, the Gators looked to the portal to fill gaps, but the jury is definitely out.
Miami is No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches Poll — conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports.
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Miami at Florida odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 12:41 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Miami -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | Florida +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
- Against the spread (ATS): Miami -2.5 (-115) | Florida +2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 54 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Miami at Florida picks and predictions
Prediction
Miami 30, Florida 23
Moneyline
MIAMI (-145) is a good play if you’re a little on the conservative side, and you would rather not mess around with the points in a game which could potentially be close.
Opening on the road in a tough environment against an in-state rival is a difficult spot. However, on paper, the Hurricanes should be much, much better than Florida (+120).
Against the spread
Back MIAMI -2.5 (-115) laying the points, if you’re a more traditional bettor.
The Hurricanes haven’t visited Gainesville since Sept. 6, 2008, and it lost 26-3 that day. But things have changed significantly, as Florida +2.5 (-115) is a little toothless these days, winning just 11 times in the past 25 games across 2 seasons under Napier’s tutelage.
The Hurricanes look to get off to a fast start with Ward under center, and he could be one of the more exciting players in the entire conference.
Over/Under
The UNDER 54 (-110) is a strong play despite the fact both of these teams have their flaws on defense.
Florida struggled to stop the opposition in the run game in 2023, including more than 200 yards per game on the ground in SEC play. Miami had a difficult time containing the pass game, and it remains to be seen whether the 2024 additions in the secondary will do the trick.
Still, we should see enough D to just hit the Under, but be prepared to sweat it out.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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