The No. 25 Florida Gators are ranked in the AP poll for the first time since 2013, but unless they upset No. 4 Ole Miss in the swamp on Saturday, their stay won’t last more than a week. Ole Miss is still living off its win over Alabama, and a sluggish performance against Vanderbilt last week has brought out some skeptics.
Florida might not be all that glamorous, but they are 2-0 in the SEC East. Could this be a preview of the SEC title game?
ODDS
Mississippi opened as a 5.5-point road favorite with the total at 53. The betting public believes the Rebels are for real and wagered the line as high as -8 before settling at the current -7. Florida is only 6-14-1 ATS in its past 21 home games. Both teams are 3-1 ATS this season.
KEY MISMATCH
Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly is pretty good when he’s slinging the ball to a pack of receivers that tower over defenders. Mississippi’s height advantage with its ball catchers is part of the reason why Kelly and the Rebels’ offense is putting up ridiculous numbers. Ole Miss ranks second in the nation in scoring with 54.8 points per game and better than 63 percent of the offense is produced through the air. Laquon Treadwell, a potential first round NFL draft pick, is the top option. He had eight catches for 135 yards last week and at 6-foot-2 gives Kelly a nice target to throw to. Ole Miss has a deep group of receivers that also includes Cody Core, Quincy Adeboyejo, Markell Pack, Damore’ea Stringfellow and tight end Evan Engram. All six are at least 6-foot-2. The Rebels average 344.5 yards through the air and 543.5 yards total and face a secondary that hasn’t been tested yet this season.
KEY STAT
100.0 – Florida’s fourth-down conversion rate. The Gators have converted all 10 of their fourth down conversions, the only team in the nation with a perfect conversion rate and more than five attempts. Ole Miss has stopped opponents on eight of 10 fourth down tries.
BETTING ANGLE
The showdown with the Rebels doesn’t give the Gators much time to celebrate their return to the rankings for the first time in nearly two years this week. It was the program’s longest unranked stretch since a 32-week hiatus that ended in 1980. Health concerns are further dampening any excitement in Gainesville. At least nine players are suffering from flu-like symptoms, causing some trepidation in coach Jim McElwain. “It hurts in preparation,” the coach said. “Something we got to deal with.” Still, Florida’s thrilling 28-27 comeback win over Tennessee last week has it feeling good. The Gators, who overcame a 13-point deficit in the final five minutes, had lost six of their last 11 home games. And with three straight games on the road following this, beating Ole Miss is more than just a luxury.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Rebels faced the Alabama hangover last week and survived a closer than expected battle with Vanderbilt, eventually pulling out a 27-16 win. While the offense wasn’t as explosive as it has been and Kelly tossed a few picks, the Rebs made the key plays at the right time. The monster offensive numbers the Rebels put up overshadowed the work of the defense, which leads the SEC in takeaways and interceptions. And the group will hound Florida quarterback Will Grier. Florida doesn’t have a high-powered attack and doesn’t get a lot going down the field. They play tough and physical up front, but that fits in with what Ole Miss likes to do defensively. If the Rebels offense gets an early lead and makes Grier and the passing game press, the turnovers will come and the Rebels will roll.
Mississippi 33, Florida 20
The college football odds for this game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Rebels were pegged as 5.5-point chalk while the total opened at 53. 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 Mississippi Rebels and Florida Gators will start at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at Florida Field. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
