The main event of Week 1 college football action on Thursday night features the Utah Utes hosting the Florida Gators. Last season, Florida knocked off Utah at the Swamp in Week 1, but they could not build off that momentum, as they finished 6-7. Meanwhile, Utah went 10-4 last season and won its second-straight Pac-12 Championship.
Florida opened as a 10.5-point underdog in this game. However, injury concerns at key positions for Utah have seen this spread adjusted all the way down to with the total sitting around 44 points at most sportsbooks.
This should be an excellent game, and bettors can take advantage of the lines offered. If you need help picking a side, we have you covered, as we break down the Florida vs. Utah odds and give our best prediction.
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Florida vs. Utah Odds: Spread, Moneyline, Total
Here are the Florida vs. Utah odds from some of our favorite sports betting apps:
Florida Gators (6-7 SU, 6-7 ATS in 22)
The Florida Gators are entering year two of the Billy Napier era, and here’s hoping it goes a lot better than last season. While they started the season with a big win at home against Utah, the Gators quickly showed they were not that great of a team, losing to Kentucky the following week.
Although they have a talented team, the expectations are not high in Gainesville, as their projected win total of would leave them short of a bowl appearance.
It also does not help that they have to replace a top-five pick at quarterback. While Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz brings yet another five-star talent to the quarterback room, he has not exactly had a good start to his career. He is not as athletic as Anthony Richardson, and so far, he has not shown that he can be relied on as Richardson was last season.
However, he has 32 career starts under his belt, and he is going to an offense that is more open than what they were running at Wisconsin. Mertz will also have a very talented unit around him.
Losing four starters on the offensive line is troublesome, but Florida brought in a few transfers with some starting experience. They also have a loaded running back room, led by Montrell Johnson Jr., who joined Napier, his coach at Louisiana, at Florida last season, and top-prospect Trevor Etienne.
The receiver room is young, but with a solid offensive line, deep running back room, and a talented quarterback, Florida’s offense may be ready to shock some people this season.
Defensively, Florida was awful last season. They allowed teams to convert on third down nearly half the time, and they allowed 30 points per game. They also had trouble stopping the run, which could hurt them in this game, especially with Utah’s injury situation.
The front seven will be stronger this season, and the secondary is loaded with top-100 talent. They still have many questions, but this should be an improved unit. Just how improved they are is still up for debate.
Utah Utes (10-4 SU, 10-4 ATS in 22)
Utah won its second-straight Pac-12 Championship game, knocking off USC in Las Vegas, for their second win over the Trojans in 2022. Not only did they win the Pac-12, but they also knocked USC out of the playoffs.
The Utes lost a lot of studs on offense, including tight end Dalton Kincaid and leading rusher Tavion Thomas. However, sixth-year quarterback Cam Rising is back and has an upgraded skill room to play with. The problem is Rising’s status against Florida does not sound promising after tearing his ACL during the Rose Bowl. This explains why the Florida vs. Utah odds have swung so heavily, but head coach Kyle Whittingham has been tight-lipped about Rising’s status.
Based on everything that has been said this week, it sounds like Rising will be out, and redshirt freshman Brandon Rose, who was projected to be the No. 2 quarterback, is also questionable. That leaves Nate Johnson and Bryson Barnes, two guys who do not have a lot of experience.
Luckily, whoever gets the start will do so behind a solid offensive line and a great skill room. They added receivers Mycah Pittman and Emery Simmons through the portal, and they have some experience in Devaughn Vele and Money Parks.
Last season, Kincaid, who ended up as a first-round pick, actually was behind Brant Kuithe in the depth chart. An injury gave Kincaid a chance, and he took advantage of it. Now, with Kuithe back, the Utes still have a quality tight end to lean on and a loaded receiver room.
On the other side of the ball, Utah was very good last season, but with Clark Phillips and Gabe Reed moving on to the NFL, there are some holes to fill. The defensive line is experienced, and they are bringing back two of their top three linebackers from last season.
The secondary is deep, but they will take a notable step back this season without Phillips.
Florida vs. Utah Betting Trends & Notes
Florida
- Florida is 4-2 ATS in its last six games.
- Florida is 1-7 SU in its last eight road games.
- The total has gone UNDER in seven of Florida’s last 10 games played in Week 1.
- Florida is 7-0 SU in its last seven games played in August.
Utah
- Utah is 4-2 ATS in its last six games.
- The total has gone UNDER in four of Utah’s last six home games on Thursday.
- Utah is 14-0 SU in its last 14 home games.
- Utah is 5-0 ATS in its last five games played in August.
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The Utes have dominated at home in the Whittingham era. Over their last 10 home games, when playing as the favorite, Utah is 9-1 SU, with their last loss coming in 2017. They are also 8-2 ATS in that time.
Since Whittingham took over in 2005, Utah is 124-96-5 ATS, and they have covered at a 57.01% clip at home, including a 5-1 ATS home record last season. Utah has typically struggled against the SEC. But, their lone victory in eight tries came against Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
Meanwhile, Florida is not often playing as a road underdog, but they have struggled when they have. Although they have covered three straight road games as a dog, they are only 3-7 SU in their last 10 games.
Florida vs. Utah Prediction: Slugfest Favors the Under
No matter who the starting quarterback is for Utah, this will be a rock fight.
We have two strong teams up front, solid running back rooms, and quarterbacks with some questions. Both teams ran the ball more than they passed last season, and we should expect that same style in this game. The team that controls the tempo of this game will win, and Utah and Florida would prefer if they could pound the rock, drain some clock, and wear out the opposition.
Even though Florida won last season, a large majority of their offensive success came from Richardson. They have done a nice job adding new pieces to the mix, but Richardson’s absence will be noticeable.
The same can be said for Rising and Utah, but the Utes have traditionally played better defense, and I trust them to run the ball more effectively. Some of us snagged Florida at +9.5 earlier this summer, and if you can find a number over 5.5 points, it may be worth it, as this will be a low-scoring dogfight. However, good luck finding that number at this point.
One of these teams will take control and run the football. With the new clock rules in place, the under feels like the right side. It also may be wroth taking some action on Utah if the number keeps dropping, but no matter what, this should be a low-scoring fight.
Florida vs. Utah Pick: Under 44 or higher
How To Watch Florida vs. Utah
Date: Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023
Kick Off: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium — Salt Lake City, UT
Where to Watch: ESPN
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