No team in the country has a longer current winning streak over an opponent than the Florida Gators have over the Kentucky Wildcats. Florida has won 31 straight games over Kentucky coming into Saturday’s Week 2 affair, but the Wildcats have come painstakingly close to finally breaking the curse in three of their last four meetings. A win for Kentucky would send Wildcats’ fans into the stratosphere, while a Florida loss would be a very ominous start to the Dan Mullen era.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 2 game is set for Saturday, September 8, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Kentucky -14
Florida +14
Over/Under 50
Odds Analysis
The CFB betting line in this game has moved just a smidge since it opened on Sunday evening. Florida was a two-touchdown favorite on the opening line, and the Gators dropped down to 13.5-point favorites not long afterwards. However, the line has since rebounded with Florida currently a two-touchdown favorite once again.
We have seen action on the under in this game. The over/under for Kentucky-Florida opened at 53 on the NCAAF betting line, and it has since come down to 50. It might fall even more before kickoff too.
Player to Watch
Kentucky is going to ride Benny Snell as much as it can this season. Snell is by far the most talented player on this offense, and he had some great games when it mattered the most in 2017. He ran for 175 yards or more in three of Kentucky’s last five games last season, and he ended the regular season as the SEC’s leading rusher. Snell earned Second Team All-SEC honors for his trouble, and he is back for at least one more year.
Snell had another good outing in the season opener against Central Michigan. He carried the ball 20 times for 125 yards and found the end zone twice. Snell needed to have a good day with Terry Wilson really struggling in his debut, and he succeeded even though the Chippewas started bringing more people into the box late in the game.
When the Wildcats faced Florida last year, Snell could only muster 59 yards on 14 carries. Florida stacked the line to force the passing game to beat them through the air, and that nearly worked. However, with Stephen Johnson out of Lexington and Wilson making his first road start, Snell will need to break a long run or two to break the streak.
Matchup to Watch
Florida has not gotten good production out of its offensive line in recent years. The Gators continually struggled to establish the run under former head coach Jim McElwain, and they have not averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry this decade. All five starters return to the unit this season, so Gators fans are hoping they can have a breakout campaign.
There is talent along the offensive line. Left tackle Martez Ivey was the top-rated offensive line recruit in the country in 2015 and was an all-conference selection in each of the last two seasons. However, other members of this unit have not lived up to their recruiting rankings.
Kentucky is very experienced in the secondary as all four members are returning starters, so Florida will likely aim to keep the ball on the ground. The Wildcats shut down Central Michigan’s ground game in the opener, but the Gators averaged over five yards per carry against them last season.
Free ATS Pick
For the Wildcats to pull off the upset, they must not commit the mistakes they did against Central Michigan. Kentucky turned the ball over four time in that one, and that led to Wilson being benched in favor of Gunnar Hoak. Wilson is listed as the starter for this one, but if he struggles, he is likely to have a short leash.
College Football Odds: Florida 31, Kentucky 20
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