Perception is an odd thing in college football. The Florida Gators are 3-0, but after struggling with both Kentucky and East Carolina, they aren't perceived to be one of the better teams in this conference.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Volunteers are 2-1, but the fact that they've trounced two foes and lost to Oklahoma in overtime suggests that they are still amongst the SEC elites.
ODDS ANALYSIS
This game is going to be considered a really close call for a reason. Tennessee needs this game if it wants any chance whatsoever to win the SEC East title this season. Florida though, really needs to cement itself as a budding power again in this conference. A loss, and Jim McElwain will be back to the drawing board.
With comparable talent on both sides, it's not surprising that this game is lined at just Florida -2.
KEY MISMATCH
The good news for the Gators is that they've chosen their quarterback. Will Grier is the man who is going to lead the charge for this team in 2015 with Treon Harris playing second fiddle. The bad news is that this offense is going to be rather one-dimensional either way.
Grier just doesn't have the arm to throw the ball down the field with repeated success, and he is going to be facing a stern test here in the UT secondary, one which has quietly forced six turnovers in three games and is a lot better than the 236.7 passing yards per game allowed suggests.
The one place in this UF passing offense vs. UT pass defense battle which could become problematic for the Vols is with the absence of Curt Maggitt. Maggitt is out through at least the end of October with a hip injury suffered last week, and that's going to leave a real void in the front seven that the Gators could exploit.
KEY STAT
1 – The number of receptions which Pig Howard has this year for the Vols. We know that getting the ball in the hands of Jalen Hurd is going to be key, but Howard is a little firecracker for sure out wide, and the fact that he only has one catch for eight yards is stunning.
For our money, the Vols have to get the ball in Howard's hands more often if they want to win this game.
BETTING ANGLE
The Gators are 6-3-1 ATS in the last 10 games in this series, but most importantly, they are 10-0 SU in those games. They escaped Rocky Top with a 10-9 win last season, but just as Kentucky is getting closer and closer to beating Florida, Tennessee is, too.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This should be the game for Tennessee. The Gators aren't exactly perceived to be overrated, but they shouldn't be getting Top 25 votes at this point as they are, and they shouldn't be this close to the Vols in this game.
This is as big of a game as there is in the SEC at this early juncture of the season, not necessarily on the national scene, but for the depth of this conference.
The Volunteers badly need this one if they are going to be considered contenders again, and in spite of the fact that they are going to be playing without at least six projected starters from the summer, we still think they have enough with Hurd and Joshua Dobbs offensively to eke out a win in the Swamp.
Tennessee 23, Florida 17
The college football lines for this Saturday game surfaced at BookMaker before anywhere else on the internet. The Florida Gators opened up on Sunday at -2. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
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 duel between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators will take place at Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, September 26, 2015. This 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff can be seen live on CBS.
