Florida Gators vs. Utah Utes odds lines money line against the spread Over Under

Florida at Utah odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Thursday’s Florida at Utah odds and lines, with college football expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Florida Gators and the Utah Utes open their seasons at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Florida at Utah odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.

The Gators stunned the Utes last season in Gainesville, winning 29-26 in a thriller. QB Anthony Richardson rushed for 3 TDs in the win, but he is now plying his trade for the Indianapolis Colts on Sundays.

The Utes aren’t exactly sure who will be their signal caller. QB Cameron Rising suffered a torn ACL in the Rose Bowl, and his status is up in the air for the opener. To compound things, backup QB Brandon Rose suffered an injury in preseason camp, so things are murky in SLC at the moment.

The Utes have a nasty defense, and they’ll make things very difficult on the mistake-prone QB Graham Mertz, who was a disaster at Wisconsin.

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Florida at Utah odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 10:49 p.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Florida +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Utah -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Florida +4.5 (-110) | Utah -4.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 44 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Florida at Utah picks and predictions

Prediction

Utah 23, Florida 20

Moneyline

Utah (-200) is a little on the pricey side. On a standalone wager, my personal moneyline limit is -180, so this is just too expensive. If you wanted to toss the Utes into a multi-team parlay, that wouldn’t kill the value of a ticket too much, but with Rising uncertain, and the QB situation a little fluid for the Utes, I’d just assume pass.

AVOID.

Against the spread

FLORIDA +4.5 (-110) makes me nervous because of Mertz. He threw too many interceptions at Wisconsin, and overall he just wasn’t very good. Facing a turgid Utah -4.5 (-110) in his first game with a new team is worrisome. However, Utah has problems of its own under center, and I think Florida can hang in a fairly defensive battle.

Over/Under

UNDER 44 (-110) is an awfully low number, but the lean is to go low. Just play it very lightly.

Utah has a suffocating defense, and both teams have some issues under center. My biggest fear for Under bettors is not seeing the offenses go up and down the field. My concern is that we could see at least 1 Pick Six, especially from Mertz against this active Utes D.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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First look: Florida at Utah odds and lines

Looking at Thursday’s Florida at Utah college football odds, lines and trends. Here’s what you need to know.

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The Florida Gators and the Utah Utes open the regular season on Thursday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at Florida at Utah odds from BetMGM Sportsbook. Also see: SportsbookWire’s college football picks and predictions.

The Gators head to Utah looking to make it a 2-for-2 in the past 2 seasons against the Utes. Florida surprised Utah in The Swamp last Sept. 3, winning 29-26. Of course, the Gators won’t be able to turn to QB Anthony Richardson, who ran for 106 yards and 3 TDs, as he is now playing his football for the Indianapolis Colts.

Florida turns to former Wisconsin Badgers QB Graham Mertz, who was rather erratic in his previous stop in Madison. He completed just 57.3% of his passes last season, throwing for 2,136 yards, 19 TD and 10 INT.

Utah QB Cameron Rising is making his way back from knee surgery, and his status is truly up in the air for the opener. Rising is looking to build upon his solid 2022 campaign. The senior completed a career-best 64.7% of his passes for 3,034 yards with 26 TD and 8 INT, and he was sacked just 9 times behind a strong offensive line. QBs Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson were battling for the primary backup job in camp.

Utah is No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.

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Florida at Utah odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 1:05 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Florida +225 (bet $100 to win $225) | Utah -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Florida +7 (-110) | Utah -7 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 46.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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2022 betting stats

ML: Florida 6-6 | Utah 10-3
ATS: Florida 7-5 | Utah 8-5
O/U: Florida 7-5 | Utah 7-6

Florida at Utah head-to-head

The Gators picked up the 29-26 victory in The Swamp last season, topping the Utes as a 2.5-point underdog as the Over (51.5) cashed. Richardson was the star of the game, but he is now off to the NFL.

Florida also picked up a win in the only previous meeting in the series, a 38-29 win in Gainesville, well before all of the players were born back on Nov. 19, 1977. This is the 1st-ever meeting in Salt Lake City.