Complete coverage of the Gasparilla Bowl between Florida and UCF

Here’s absolutely everything you could possibly need to know about tonight’s game.

Game day has arrived for the Florida Gators and Central Florida Knights, who get set to face each other for just the third time ever in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl held in Tampa, Florida. Raymond James Stadium is sure to be covered in a blend of both orange and blue as well as black and gold on Thursday night as the two schools fight for in-state bragging rights.

Neither team had aspired to play in the lower-tier bowl game at the beginning of the season, but disappointing campaigns — especially Florida, which ended up firing its head coach and two assistants before the end of the regular season — resulted in a preview of upcoming two-and-one series that begins in 2024.

A great deal has been researched and written on the topic, and we have it all right here for you below — from scouting reports to betting lines to media takes, you can find it simply all by scrolling down. Enjoy the game, football fans!

Game day betting odds for Florida football vs UCF in Gasparilla Bowl

Check out the odds for today’s Florida vs. UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Here we go, folks! The final game of Florida football’s 2021 campaign has finally arrived as the Orange and Blue gets set to take on the Central Florida Knights in the Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday night.

By now, everyone should be familiar with the narratives: disappointing seasons; de facto state title; playing for mere pride. A win for the Gators prevents the first losing season in Gainesville since 2017 while a Knights victory gives them bragging rights until the two schools meet again in 2024.

Ahead of the game, according to the Tipico Sportsbook, the Gators’ edge dropped a point back to 6.5 over the Knights with the over-under falling back to 55.5 points. Florida’s money rose to minus-240 while Central Florida’s fell to plus-190 as of 9 a.m. EST on Thursday.

How to watch Florida football vs UCF Knights in Gasparilla Bowl

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 23, inside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, livestreamed on the ESPN app and can be heard on the Gators Radio Network.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

[listicle id=64459]

[listicle id=64458]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Wednesday betting odds for Florida football vs UCF in Gasparilla Bowl

Here is an early look at the odds for Florida vs. UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl for Wednesday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Game day is quickly drawing near as the Florida Gators prepare to take on the Central Florida Knights in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl on Thursday. The two schools will vie for the de facto in-state championship, facing each other for just the third time ever on the gridiron.

UF seems to have the upper hand talent-wise over UCF, but the way things have unfurled on the field this season often suggests otherwise. There are many who think that the Knights have more to play for, and thus, are more likely to come out on top. Even the Gators Wire staff was split on who would take home the state title, with our roundtable drawing almost exactly even on its composite score prediction.

According to the Tipico Sportsbook, the Gators are now favored by 7.5 — up a point — over the Knights with the over-under rising to 56.5 points. Florida’s money fell again to minus-280 while Central Florida’s also raised again to plus-220 as of 10 a.m. EST on Wednesday.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

[listicle id=64459]

[listicle id=64458]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Sports Illustrated’s Gasparilla Bowl pick between UF and UCF might surprise you

Forde likes the Knights to win in a close game in his Gasparilla Bowl preview.

Florida will conclude what has been a frustrating season on Thursday night. The team went 6-6 and fired coach Dan Mullen after a 2-6 finish in SEC play, the worst in program history for the Gators. They reached bowl eligibility thanks to a win over Florida State under interim coach Greg Knox, and now Knox and Mullen’s remaining staffers will coach one final game in the Gasparilla Bowl against the UCF Knights.

Despite the way it finished the season, UF is about a touchdown favorite against the 8-4 Knights, depending on where you look. However, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde doesn’t have a lot of confidence in this team, and in his predictions for each bowl game, he picked a Central Florida upset.

UCF season in a sentence: Gus Malzahn arrived, Dillon Gabriel got hurt and hit the transfer portal, and the glory days of 2017–18 receded a little further in the rearview mirror.

Florida season in a sentence: Tire fire.

Better or worse than the 1973 Liberty Bowl: Worse, even with the in-state (non)rivalry stakes.

Line: Florida by 6.5.

Dash pick: UCF 21, Florida 19. There are two competing schools of thought here. On the one hand, the Knights’ in-state players who were not recruited by the Gators should bring superior motivation against a team that has performed listlessly for months. On the other hand, Malzahn is 2–5 against the spread in bowl games since nearly winning the 2013 national championship as a 10-point underdog.

There’s no doubt that UCF will be the more motivated team in this one. The Knights certainly have a bone to pick with the flagship university, and even in a down year for the Gators, a win against them would mean a lot for the Central Florida program.

UF, meanwhile, knows the program is about to undergo wholesale changes under new coach Billy Napier, and it’s unclear how motivated the players that haven’t opted out or transferred will be in the last game with a lame-duck coaching staff.

The Gators will look to earn a win and avoid their third sub-.500 finish since 2013.

[lawrence-related id=64404,64449,64257,64255,64091]

[listicle id=64459]

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

[listicle id=64452]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Expert Predictions: Who claims the state title in the Gasparilla Bowl?

Here’s how the Gators Wire staff thinks things will go down on Thursday.

It is not the game the Gator Nation had in mind when the 2021 campaign began, but on Thursday, Florida football will face the Central Florida Knights in the… (checks notes) Gasparilla Bowl, held in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. Most Floridians think of the pirate festival when they hear the name Gasparilla, but there is very little festivity about this game.

Nonetheless, the matchup will serve as a de facto state championship, as these two schools bring in the top records among their collegiate peers. You know it was a bad year in Florida when the 8-4 and 6-6 teams were the best of the bunch, but here we are with a preview of the upcoming two-and-one matchup between the Gators and Knights over the next decade-plus.

Ahead of the game, the Gators Wire staff offers up their takes and predictions for the second-biggest bowl game in the Tampa Bay area. Take a look below at our thoughts and final scores, as well as the overall composite assessment.

A brief history of the Gators-Knights football series

Take a walk down memory lane with Pat Dooley as he looks back on UF’s previous meetings with UCF.

There isn’t a lot of history between the two opponents in the Gasparilla Bowl except a lot of snarky remarks back and forth when the two sides were trying to negotiate a contract to play. This bowl game did it for them.

It is interesting that — if the schedules hold together and that is up in the air with the uncertainty of the SEC and college football’s future — by the time we’re done with the 2033 season, Florida and UCF will have doubled the times they have played each other.

There have been only two meetings between the teams in history with UCF being a relatively young program, joining big boy football (a.k.a. FBS) in 1996, the year Florida won its first national championship.

So, here’s a look at the two games — games in which Florida scored exactly 100 points — that were played between the two schools in the not-so-distance past as you get ready for the Gasparilla Bowl:

Tuesday betting odds for Florida football vs UCF in Gasparilla Bowl

Here is an early look at the odds for Florida vs. UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl for Tuesday.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Two days remain between now and the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl, which pits the Florida Gators up against the Central Florida Knights in a showdown for the state title in Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. UF is hoping for a win to end a rough season on a high note, while UCF looks to kick its big brother school while it’s down and seize its crown.

According to the Tipico Sportsbook, the Gators are still favored by 6.5 points over the Knights, with the over-under remaining at 55.5 points. Florida’s money fell to minus-250 while Central Florida’s raised to plus-200 as of 10:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Monday betting odds for Florida football vs UCF in Gasparilla Bowl

Here is an early look at the odds for Florida vs. UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl on Monday ahead of the game.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Welcome to Gasparilla Bowl week, Gators fans! Coming up on Thursday, Florida football will take the field at Raymond James Stadium against the UCF Knights in a preview of an upcoming two-and-one series between the two schools over the next decade. Additionally, the game will serve as the de facto state championship for bragging rights over the offseason.

On Monday, according to the Tipico Sportsbook, the Gators remain favored by 6.5 points over the Knights, with the over-under still sitting at 55.5 points. Florida’s money line stays at minus-240 while Central Florida’s also remains at plus-190 as of 9 a.m. EST.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Sunday betting odds for Florida football vs UCF in Gasparilla Bowl

Here is an early look at the odds for Florida vs. UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl on Sunday ahead of the game.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Four days from now, Florida football will take the field against the Central Florida Knights in Raymond James Stadium for the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. While the postseason event was hardly what the fans had hoped for this year — one that saw its favorite team completely collapse, resulting in the dismissal of head coach Dan Mullen — the game gives the Gators a chance to claim the de facto state title from their central Florida brethren.

On Sunday, according to the Tipico Sportsbook, the Gators remain favored by 6.5 points over the Knights, with the over-under sitting at 55.5 points. Florida’s money line rose to minus-240 while Central Florida’s dropped to plus-190 as of 10:45 a.m. EST.

All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook

Visit our free to play game lobby at Daily Ticket, Powered by Tipico Sportsbook

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

How does The Athletic feel about Florida’s chances vs UCF?

Is Florida favored against UCF? The Athletic doesn’t think so.

The early signing period may have gone well for Florida, but this year’s squad still has to play UCF in a bowl game without several key players. Although Florida is still favored to win one week away from the game, The Athletic’s staff has the Knights winning on an 8-4 vote.

Florida continues to lose players to the transfer portal, including the team’s leading tackler and receiver. Quarterback Emory Jones announced his intention to transfer, but he’ll be starting the Gasparilla Bowl with Anthony Richardson recovering from a knee procedure. Other players such as starting defensive end Zach Carter won’t play in preparation for the draft.

With all that in mind, it’s easy to see why The Athletic’s staff thinks Florida is being given too much credit simply for being an SEC team. After all, the Gators finished 13th in the conference ahead of only Vanderbilt.

UCF had a fairly successful season in 2021. It was just easy to overlook any team in the American Athletic Conference not named Cincinnati … UCF ended the regular season as a top-40 scoring team at 32.2 points per game and also ran the ball well, averaging nearly 189 rushing yards per contest. That’s a strong enough combination to potentially give Florida a hard time in this game.

Of course, Florida does have the talent to be an elite team. It may be well in the past, but this is the same team that lost to No. 1 Alabama by just two points. The difference three months later is that Florida and its fans are very much ready to move on from this disaster of a season with their new head coach already making moves.

Still, many of the players on the field will be auditioning for their spots next season. A three-interception day from Jones wouldn’t impress potential transfer destinations, and Napier will be watching evaluating his players as well.

[lawrence-related id=64079,64074,64050,63970]

[listicle id=63015]

[listicle id=63077]

[listicle id=63619]

[listicle id=63920]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.