Rivalry games are usually saved until the end of the season, but college football fans are in for a treat when the Week 0 battle for Florida resumes on Saturday, August 24, 2019. The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators will meet for the first time since the 2013 season and both have a chance to make an early statement. Current college football odds have the Gators favored by 7.5-points as they look to build off a 10-win season. The Canes, meanwhile, are looking to get the Manny Diaz era started on a positive note. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. ET from Camping World Stadium in Orlando and will be televised on ESPN.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Miami Hurricanes +7.5
Florida Gators -7.5
Over/Under 47
Miami vs. Florida Odds Analysis
With so many variables in play, season opening college football games are tough to decipher. There isn’t a question as to which team is favored in this one, but how many points are the Gators laying the Canes. Florida won 10 games in the first season under Dan Mullen and is poised to be a contender in the SEC East. The line for this one hit the board in June with UF -8.5-points. The number was wagered down to a touchdown but has since leveled off as has the money. Unless something drastic happens between now and Saturday, the 7.5-point line looks to satisfy everyone.
Miami Odds
Seven wins and a bowl game would satisfy a majority of programs. However, not the Canes, and as a result changes were made. The biggest is at head coach with Manny Diaz taking over for Mark Richt. The Canes finished 7-6 straight up last season and 5-8 ATS. They had just one win against a team that finished better than .500 knocking off Toledo in Week 3. Miami has not beaten a team ranked in the AP top-10 away from home since 2005.
Florida Odds
Nobody within the program is saying so publicly, but internally the Gators think they have a shot at playing in the SEC title game and possibly the CFP. It’s a longshot, but to get there they can’t lose a game like this. Florida is much more stable at the key positions than Miami and a bunch of starters return from a club that went 10-3 SU and 9-4 ATS. The Gators were ranked No. 8 in the preseason poll.
Key Players
When Tate Martell transferred to Miami most expected him to slide right into the starting role. Diaz had other ideas and instead named redshirt freshman Jarren Williams the starter over both Martell and incumbent N’Kosi Perry. Two areas really dogged the Canes last season: lack of a passing game and turnovers. Perry was part of the problem last year and his inability to work through the issues has him riding the bench, for now. Miami QBs couldn’t do the basics, failing to complete half their passes in six games last season. If Williams is just okay the Canes at least have a chance.
Miami’s shit storm in its bowl game loss to Wisconsin drove Richt out of the coaching ranks. The Canes committed five turnovers and were blasted 35-3 as 2.5-point favorites. Overall UM coughed up the ball 26 times and they were minus-1 in turnover differential. In their six losses the Canes committed 17 turnovers.
Last Meeting
The teams haven’t played since 2013 when Miami upset Florida 21-16, giving the Canes seven wins in the last eight meetings between the schools. Besides being a rivalry game this one carries plenty of significance. The Gators are looking to build off an impressive 10-win season and have the pieces in place to do so. However, their schedule is difficult and this one they should have circled as a W on their calendar.
Retaining Diaz after he briefly accepted the Temple gig was a coup for Miami. The former defensive coordinator has a chance to pull off an impressive upset to wipe away the stench from 2018. Defensively the Canes should be fine, but there are too many questions regarding Williams and the offense to back Miami.
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