The Michigan Wolverines battle the Florida Gators in the 2016 Citrus Bowl and bragging rights among power conferences. Those of you who live on the West Coast need to wake up early - the game kick off at Noon, ET and ESPN will televise the game live.
Both teams are similar in multiple ways. Both have first year coaches. Jim Harbaugh is in his first year at Michigan and Jim McElwain the same at Florida. Both teams overachieved in 2015. Michigan was picked near the bottom, but behind Harbaugh clawed their way to a 9-3 record and a bowl berth. Florida, likewise, was picked in the middle of the pack and surprised most by winning the SEC East and earning a trip to the SEC Championship game where it lost to Alabama.
This is a huge game for both programs, moving forward and setting a foundation for their future.
Florida has to keep the mojo going in bowl games. The Gators have won five of their last six and seven of the last nine, however, one of those losses was to Michigan in the 2008 Capital One Bowl. The Wolverines have gone to just four bowls since then, winning just one.
ODDS
Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl
January 1, 2016
Noon, ET - ESPN
Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida
Florida Gators +4.5
Michigan Wolverines -4.5
Game Total 38.5
BETTING ANGLE
Michigan opened as a 3.5 point favorite and the current line is all the way up to 4.5. The biggest move is on the game total. The total opened up at 42 and is all the way down to 38.5 and you better get it before it falls to 37. The savvy gamer already has under 42 or 41.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There is plenty of NFL talent on both teams and the scouts will be in Orlando to check out several players, most notably Jabrill Peppers of Michigan who plays both offense and defense and has the versatility to play any position in the defensive backfield. He also plays running back and special teams. Wolverine cornerback Jourdan Lewis is also NFL ready, but announced he is coming back for his senior year.
Florida also has plenty of NFL talent. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves is a first round lock and nickel Brian Poole and strong safety Marcus Maye give the Gators the best secondary in the country.
The biggest question in this matchup is how are these teams going to score. Both clubs have stout defenses and both offenses have struggled from time to time. The difference in this game will be special teams. Florida has struggled in the kicking game most the year and the Wolverines will capitalize and prove once again, that the Big 10 conference is under-rated! Jim Harbaugh gets his first bowl win as head coach of Michigan as they win, 24-13.
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -4 in favor of Michigan. The NCAA lines totalsurfaced at 38.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's livebetting option.
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