Tag: Kentucky Wildcats

FINAL betting odds for Florida vs Kentucky, per BetMGM

Just a couple of hours before kickoff between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats in Gainesville and the final betting lines are in from BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks. Florida has been favored by more than three touchdowns since the …

Just a couple of hours before kickoff between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats in Gainesville and the final betting lines are in from BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks.

Florida has been favored by more than three touchdowns since the beginning of the week when the Gators were favored by 24 points and the over/under was set at 55.5 points. While the numbers saw some change as the week progressed, the spread ended up almost identical to Monday’s while the over/under grew appreciably.

Today, BetMGM oddsmakers dropped the Gators a point to a 24.5-point favorite ahead of game time while the over/under also dropped a point to 60.5.

The game will kick off at 12 p.m. EST in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, can be live-streamed on the ESPN app and can be heard on the Gators Radio Network.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks.

FOLLOW ALL OF OUR BETMGM ODDS HERE

Five things to watch when Florida goes toe-to-toe with Kentucky

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

What can Florida’s struggling defense do to contain Kentucky?

2020 Florida Football Schedule

9/26 at Ole Miss (Won, 51-35)

10/3 vs. South Carolina (Won, 38-24)

10/10 at No. 7 Texas A&M (Lost, 41-38)

10/31 vs. Missouri (Won, 41-17)

11/7 vs. No. 5 Georgia (Won 44-28)

11/14 vs. Arkansas (Won 63-35)

11/21 at Vanderbilt (Won 38-17)

11/28 vs. Kentucky

12/5 at Tennessee

12/12 vs. LSU

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Everything you need to know to follow Florida vs Kentucky on Saturday

Florida Gators football hosts Kentucky Wildcats in Gainesville on Saturday, broadcast and live-streamed on ESPN plus radio coverage.

This series may not have been competitive for the bulk of the last three decades. Prior to 2018, the Gators hadn’t lost to Kentucky since 1986. But the Wildcats ended the streak that year, and aside from a blowout in 2016, every game in the series has been a nailbiter since 2014.

This is a bit of a disappointing UK team. Coach Mark Stoops has consistently overachieved while in Lexington, but this year’s squad sits at just 3-5. Despite possessing a stiff defense, it hasn’t figured out the quarterback position, and the offense has struggled as a result.

Kentucky has the best pass defense in the SEC and a competent run game, but it will be shorthanded on Saturday, as 18 UK players are out for the game due to COVID-19.

The game kicks off at noon and will be televised on ESPN. You can stream it from the ESPN app.

Five things to watch when Florida goes toe-to-toe with Kentucky

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

What can Florida’s struggling defense do to contain Kentucky?

Television: ESPN

Play-by-Play: Mark Jones

Analyst: Dusty Dvoracek

Reporter: Marty Smith

Stream: ESPN app

Radio:  Gators IMG Sports Network

Play-by-Play: Mick Hubert

Analyst: Lee McGriff

Reporter: Tate Casey

Score Track:  FloridaGators.com, ESPN app

Game Notes:  FloridaGators.com

Follow the Action:  Follow Gators Wire (@GatorsWire) and college sports reporter Tyler Nettuno (@TylerNettuno) on Twitter for live updates.

Prediction:  Florida 55, Vanderbilt 14

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Will Florida keep rolling against the Kentucky Wildcats?

Florida Gators are strongly favored to win their game against Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday in The Swamp, here’s a look at the matchup.

Florida’s ultimate goal is nearly in sight. With wins in the next two weeks, it will clinch an SEC East division title for the first time since 2016 and the opportunity to win its first conference title since 2008.

Games against Kentucky, Tennessee and potentially LSU stand in their way, but the Gators will be heavily favored in all of them. This week, the challengers are the Wildcats, who come into Gainesville looking to spring a victory in the series for just the second time since 1986.

UK teams under coach Mark Stoops have given UF headaches in the past, but this year’s team limps in at 3-5 sporting wins over bottom-feeders Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

With that being said, this Kentucky team matches up well with the Gators. At least, it would if it was at full strength. The Wildcats have the SEC’s top passing defense, allowing just 223 yards per game.

But as a team, they’ll be without 18 players on Saturday, at least, due to COVID-19. It’s unclear at which positions they’ll be shorthanded, but given the challenge the Wildcats already faced with the No. 6 Gators, it’s not good news for UK.

Offensively, Kentucky certainly can’t afford to lose many players. That side of the ball has struggled enough already, as a quarterback musical chairs that went from senior Terry Wilson to Auburn transfer Joey Gatewood has now shifted back to Wilson. Regardless of who is under center, though, the Wildcats have struggled.

Wilson has at least been more of a factor in a run game that is quite good, averaging 178 yards (the fourth-best mark in the conference). But that isn’t enough to make up for an abysmal passing game that averages just 123 yards, a mark that brings UK down to the league’s worst team in total offense.

If Kentucky was at full force, this game could perhaps be a different story, as its secondary is one of the toughest Florida has faced this season. But given the players missing and the Wildcats’ lack of consistency at the quarterback position, this is about as mismatched a game this series has seen in years.

Florida bounces back from an ugly win over Vanderbilt with a convincing beatdown of the Wildcats.

Prediction: Florida 55, Kentucky 14

Five things to watch when Florida goes toe-to-toe with Kentucky

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

What can Florida’s struggling defense do to contain Kentucky?

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What can Florida’s struggling defense do to contain Kentucky?

Florida Gators football’s defense has been suspect all season especially against lowly Vandy. Here are three ways UF needs to bounce back.

We’re seven games into the season, and it’s already incredibly clear which facet of the game is Florida’s Achilles’ Heel. Despite the play of quarterback Kyle Trask, who would be on pace to have a better season than Joe Burrow’s 2019 campaign if this was a full schedule, the Gators have a loss and many of their games have been closer than fans would hope.

Last week, UF allowed a number of big plays from a true freshman quarterback in Ken Seals, and it needs to tighten up its defensive play tremendously in these final weeks of the regular season if it’s going to compete with Alabama, who it will most likely face in the SEC Championship.

The Gators draw Kentucky this week, and the Wildcats’ offense is far from one of the league’s best. If Florida is going to improve on its biggest weakness this week, here are three things it needs to do.

Five things to watch when Florida goes toe-to-toe with Kentucky on Saturday

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

Gators football hosts Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday in an SEC East battle as UF looks to continue its divisional dominance in Week 13.

Florida’s games against Kentucky have been exciting the last several years. UF won on two unguarded touchdowns in 2017, UK ended a 31-year losing streak to the Gators in 2018 and last year, quarterback Kyle Trask led a comeback victory over the Wildcats after coming in for Feleipe Franks, who suffered a season-ending injury.

This year’s game against the 3-5 Wildcats may have less intrigue, but if history is any indicator, this one has the potential to get weird.

Florida boasts one of the nation’s top passing offenses, but Kentucky could present a bigger challenge than many UF fans expect. Here’s what the unit needs to do to find success against a tough Kentucky defense.

Thursday betting odds for Florida vs Kentucky, per BetMGM

UF is a strong favorite against the Kentucky Wildcats in The Swamp this Saturday and the odds have tilted even further in Florida’s favor.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We here at Gators Wire hope that you and everyone important in your life have a safe and joyous holiday today.

BetMGM oddsmakers bumped the Gators up to a 25.5-point favorite while the over/under remained at 61.5 today.

The game will kick off at 12 p.m. EST in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, can be live-streamed on the ESPN app and can be heard on the Gators Radio Network.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks.

FOLLOW ALL OF OUR BETMGM ODDS HERE

2020 Florida Football Schedule

9/26 at Ole Miss (Won, 51-35)

10/3 vs. South Carolina (Won, 38-24)

10/10 at No. 7 Texas A&M (Lost, 41-38)

10/31 vs. Missouri (Won, 41-17)

11/7 vs. No. 5 Georgia (Won 44-28)

11/14 vs. Arkansas (Won 63-35)

11/21 at Vanderbilt (Won 38-17)

11/28 vs. Kentucky

12/5 at Tennessee

12/12 vs. LSU

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Five things to watch when Florida goes toe-to-toe with Kentucky on Saturday

UF hosts UK this weekend in The Swamp as it continues its march to the SEC East Division crown. Here are five things to watch this Saturday.

The last time Kentucky came to Gainesville for a football game in 2018, it walked away victorious in the series for the first time since 1986.

That was in Dan Mullen’s second game as the Gators head coach. Since then, he’s lost just one game in The Swamp, a contest with Missouri later that season.

The Wildcats return this weekend carrying another losing streak in the series, but this time it’s just one game. That game was a significant one, though.

Starting quarterback Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending ankle injury during last year’s game in Lexington, and since it replaced him with Kyle Trask, the offense hasn’t looked back.

This is a struggling Kentucky team that sits at just 3-5 with wins over fellow conference cellar-dwellers Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. But if there’s one thing the recent history of this rivalry suggests, this game could be pretty unpredictable.

Here are five things to watch out for against UK.

What can Florida’s struggling defense do to contain Kentucky?

Three keys on offense to a big win for Florida over Kentucky

How sure is a Florida win over Kentucky? USA TODAY Sports weighs in

Florida Gators football is a heavy favorite this Saturday against Kentucky Wildcats and USA TODAY Sports agrees with a unanimous pick of UF.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below. 

Thanksgiving weekend typically is the time where team are crafting their final cases for inclusion into the College Football Playoff or playing for conference championships or bragging rights with rivals.

The season, of course, is different. There’s still three weeks to go after Saturday, meaning the weekend has a new feel. Those in-state showdowns of non-conference opponents are gone. Some of the bigger games of the season have been pushed later.

There’s still much to savor during the holiday.

There’s the Iron Bowl, where No. 1 Alabama hosts No. 19 Auburn. It’s the last ranked opponent on the schedule for the Crimson Tide before a potential showdown in the SEC title game with Florida. The Tigers would like nothing better than to spoil the season of their biggest rival.

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No. 2 Notre Dame travels to No. 23 North Carolina in what is its toughest challenge before a likely appearance in the ACC championship game. The Irish need only win two of their final three games to secure their spot. But the Tar Heels are eager to earn a signature win in Mack Brown’s second season.

The third game matching ranked opponents has big ramifications in the Big 12. No. 15 Iowa State can all but secure a spot in its first conference title game with a win at No. 21 Texas. The Longhorns also would be in prime position to reach Arlington, Texas, by knocking off the Cyclones.

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Gators to get a big boost with the return of their star tight end

Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts returns this weekend against Kentucky Wildcats after missing 2 weeks with a concussion sustained vs UGA.

Florida’s passing offense will be receiving a major boost in their upcoming game versus Kentucky, as tight end Kyle Pitts is slated to make his return to the gridiron after missing the last two weeks due to injury.

Pitts, who is widely considered the Gators’ best pro prospect, was a major part of the team’s offensive core before being sidelined in an ugly hit during the Georgia game that left him concussed and damaged his nose. The ugly collision that left him injured didn’t appear to be intentional, but rather the result of poorly directed momentum by the Bulldogs defenseman.

It was revealed later that he required surgery on his nose. Between the brain facial injuries, he was unable to return to action in UF’s subsequent games against Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Of course, no one player makes a team, but those wins were more difficult than expected.

Others stepped up their game admirably in his stead – particularly Trevon Grimes — but Pitts is Kyle Trask‘s favorite target and the team’s most skilled receiver. If he’s back to 100 percent strength, his presence on the field will be felt as the Gators take on their next opponent. In his four healthy outings to open the season, he averaged 5.5 receptions per game and 16.1 yards per catch.

A side effect of this news is that having all his best pass-catchers available only boosts Trask’s chances of putting up the big numbers needed to win the Heisman Trophy. He’s become the frontrunner in the chase for the award and led a record-setting passing offense in the process. Getting that offense back to firing on all cylinders could be exactly what cements his candidacy.

It’s entirely possible that coming off such a violent injury, Pitts will not be his usual dynamic self for the Gators on Saturday. Nonetheless, getting him back on the field is an absolute win for Dan Mullen and Florida’s football program as they are eyeing a spot in the college playoffs.

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Wednesday betting odds for Florida vs. Kentucky, per BetMGM

Florida Gators are strong favorites against Kentucky Wildcats but the BetMGM oddsmakers shifted the line in UK’s favor ahead of Saturday

Placed at No. 6 in the debut College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, the Florida Gators (6-1), who are No. 5 in the Amway Coaches Poll Powered by USA TODAY Sports, will welcome the Kentucky Wildcats (3-5) to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday.

Victorious in 52 of the 70 all-time meetings, including 32 of the last 33 dating to 1987, Florida, who is in the driver’s seat in the Southeastern Conference East Division as the only of the seven teams with just a lone loss, will need to continue their success against the Lexington-based outfit to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Updating their daily odds, BetMGM moved the line slightly in the Wildcats’ favor, listing the Gators as a 22.5-point favorite. The over/under saw a bit of a jump, as well, moving to 61.5.

Saturday’s clash will kick at 12 p.m. EST on ESPN and can be heard on the Gators Radio Network.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks.

FOLLOW ALL OF OUR BETMGM ODDS HERE

2020 Florida Football Schedule

9/26 at Ole Miss (Won, 51-35)

10/3 vs. South Carolina (Won, 38-24)

10/10 at No. 7 Texas A&M (Lost, 41-38)

10/31 vs. Missouri (Won, 41-17)

11/7 vs. No. 5 Georgia (Won 44-28)

11/14 vs. Arkansas (Won 63-35)

11/21 at Vanderbilt (Won 38-17)

11/28 vs. Kentucky

12/5 at Tennessee

12/12 vs. LSU

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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