Florida Gators Look for Preseason Redemption Against Utah Utes in Season Opener
This Thursday evening, the Florida Gators of the SEC will battle the Utah Utes from the Pac-12 in a much-anticipated season opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
Game outlook
This Thursday evening, the Florida Gators of the SEC will battle the Utah Utes from the Pac-12 in a much-anticipated season opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Russians were 10-4 and 7-2 in the Pac-12 in 2022, while the Gators had a 3-5 record in the SEC and finished the season with a 6-7 overall record. Utah are the favorites, opening at -7, meaning the current line is Utah -6.5. Who will come out victorious and more importantly, who will cover the spread?
Game Info
When: Thursday, 8/31/2023 @ 8:00pm EST
Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium Stadium Gators vs Utes Betting Odds Moneyline: Gators +220 | Running Utes -260
Spread: Gators +6.5 (-110) | Running Utes -6.5 (-110)
Total: Over/Under 45.5 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Utah will win straight-up is 72%.
Florida Gators
Billy Napier, second-year coach of the Gators, faces pressure to deliver after a subpar 2022. With the formidable SEC to compete against, the team will have to rely on Graham Mertz, a transfer from Wisconsin with 5,405 yards and 38 touchdowns under his belt. Napier is confident in Mertz's talent and character, along with the weapons he has at his disposal, such as Ricky Pearsall, Caleb Douglas, Marcus Burke, Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne. Even with these talents, Florida's power ranking of 68 and rankings of #57 (offense) and #87 (defense) may present a challenge. Further, Pearsall and Douglas are currently listed as questionable, while Cam Carroll is out for the season. Joel Klatt recently ranked his top QBs for the 2024 season: 1. JJ McCarthy 2. Caleb Williams 3. Drake Maye 4. Michael Penix Jr. 5. Jayden Daniels 6. Bo Nix 7. Jordan Travis 8. Spencer Rattler 9. Cade Klubnik 10. Graham Mertz Did he cook? pic.twitter.com/gvthrBjOs4