The last few years have been a struggle for a Florida team that’s used to be atop the SEC standings. They’ll look to get things kicked off right this week in a showdown against the Aggies. New Mexico State comes into play having lost their last 10 games SU and six straight ATS to end last year.
ODDS
These two teams last met 21 years ago with the Gators getting a blowout 70-21 win. They should be in for another big win this time around.
The spread opened with Florida the 36-point favorite and that has since grown to 37-points. The total, meanwhile, has taken a bit of a dip from 57.5 to 56.5. Either way, Florida’s new look offense is expected to put up some points against a poor, but experienced, Aggies defense.
KEY MISMATCH
The New Mexico State defense didn’t have much turnover, but they ranked No.113 last year in yards per game allowed at 484.4, permitting over five touchdowns per game.
The Gators should be able to take advantage of the team’s inability to stop all opposition.
Florida’s offense was an issue last year, but the unit has the talent to be better. They’ve yet to announce their starting quarterback for the year and has indicated that they will go with a two-quarterback rotation until either Treon Harris or Will Grier emerge as the starter.
Both will see time on the field against New Mexico State to show what they can do.
In terms of talent, each has the cards stacked against him with Kelvin Taylor the only rusher—other than Harris—with more than 200 yards last year and Demarcus Robinson is a good receiver, but the only one that saw any real time last year.
KEY STAT
23 – This is the number of interceptions thrown by Tyler Rogers last year. Rogers will once again get the call under center. He’ll have trouble against a stout Florida defense.
The Gators were just 7-5 last year and lacked consistency, but the defense held opponents to just 22 points per game. The offense, meanwhile, was the question mark with Jeff Driskel failing to develop as anticipated.
BETTING ANGLE
Jim McElwain kicks off his head coaching career in Florida on Saturday as he tries to improve an underperforming program.
McElwain spent the last three years with Colorado State who improved each year he was there, posting a 10-2 record last year.
The new coach in Gainesville will try and do the same thing with the Gators and that starts on Saturday. Look for him to aim to make a good first impression, leading him to be less likely to let up with a big early lead.
With that in mind, a 37+ point margin is far more likely.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Gators’ offense is a question as apparent by a lack of a starting quarterback. The conventional wisdom stats: if you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have any. That may be the case and that could be exposed later in the year, but the Aggies defense is terrible and the Gators should find ways to score despite any real certainty under center.
Defensively, the Gators are a bit more assured. They allowed just 30 opposing touchdowns and ranked No.15 in the sport with 329.8 yards allowed per game. The team’s added even more talent and experience this year.
Florida 48, New Mexico State 10
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -36 in favor of the Gators. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 57.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the New Mexico State Aggies and Florida Gators will take place Saturday, September 5, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. You can watch the game live on the SEC Network.
