The No. 11 Florida Gators are a 3-point favorite over the Georgia Bulldogs with a total of 48 in their annual rivalry game in Jacksonville, FL.
The Gators are on top of the SEC East at 4-1 while Georgia is solo second at 3-2 and both teams enter off a bye week.
WHEN FLORIDA HAS THE BALL
Florida rushed for 418 yards in last year’s 38-20 Bulldog beating as a 10-point underdog. Kelvin Taylor had 197 of those rushing yards with two touchdowns and he leads the Gators in rushing this season with nearly 500 yards. Georgia is No. 25 in the nation in run defense but allowed both Tennessee and Alabama nearly 200 rushing yards.
This year’s Gators offense is more pass-oriented and they will attack a Georgia secondary early as Bulldogs safety Dominick Sanders is suspended for the first half due to a flagrant foul last game versus Missouri. Florida was only able to run the ball for 55 yards against LSU’s stout defense, but quarterback Treon Harris did pass well enough for 271 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 35-28 defeat two weeks ago.
Still, Georgia’s speed on defense and healthy, strong front line will make it tough on quarterback Harris to make plays under pressure.
WHEN GEORGIA HAS THE BALL
Georgia is No. 2 in the SEC in rushing, but star running back Nick Chubb is out for the season following a knee injury October 10 versus Tennessee. The Dawgs had less than 300 yards offense versus Missouri the following game in a 9-6 win and reserve running back Sony Michel rushed for 87 yards on 26 carries. The Gators run defense is solid allowing 120 yards per game.
But Georgia quarterback Greyson Lambert has not been efficient enough and especially against stronger defenses and both these defenses allow less than 200 passing yards per game. The Bulldogs offense scored nine and 10 points against the top-two defenses of Missouri and Alabama, and without Chubb to carry the load, this offense will likely struggle to reach 20 points with Florida allowing less than 18 points per game.
LIVE BETTING AND MATCHUP ANALYSIS
This game should have less scoring than last year with some coaching familiarity and defensive personnel to control less-skilled passers. Georgia defensive coordinator and other Bulldog coaches were on the Alabama staff when Florida head coach Jim McElwain was the offensive coordinator at Alabama.
Gators kicker Austin Hardin has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Florida has had three kickers trying out the past week so check Hardin’s status near game time but expect him to be ready. Georgia senior defensive linemen Jordan Jenkins, John Atkins and Chris Mayes return this week following injuries after missing the Missouri game.
Live betting will be active but the matchups, speed and defensive personnel suggest less scoring. Consider a first half under the total play along with the full game total and adjust to best prices throughout the live betting process of this contest.
Georgia is just 2-8-1 ATS as underdogs since 2006 and Florida head coach Jim McElwain is 26-9-1 ATS going back to his time at Colorado State.
The college football odds for this game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Florida Gators were pegged as 1-point chalk while the total opened at 47.5. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 31, 2015, at EverBank Field. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
