Bowling Green vs. Florida Odds
GAINESVILLE, FL (The Spread) – No. 23 Florida hopes to avoid an upset on Saturday when the Gators host Bowling Green at 3:30PM ET on ABC.
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Florida is in its second season under coach Will Muschamp after going just 7-6 last year. The Gators have failed to reach 9 wins the last two seasons. Bowing Green is coming off a 5-7 season under coach Dave Clawson. The Falcons are just 7-17 in their last two seasons. This is the first meeting between the two teams, but Florida has won its last 22 home openers by an average of 36 points.
Trends show that Florida is just 1-8 against the spread in its last 9 games and 0-4-1 ATS in their lat 5 home games. The Gators are also just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 against the MAC. Bowling Green is 5-1 against the point spread odds in their last 6 games on grass.
Oddsmakers see Florida as the clear favorite in this game, giving them a point spread of -29.5 against Bowling Green on Saturday. The over/under odds have been set at 48 points (View Matchup). The odds opened with Florida as a 26.5-point favorite and were as low as 26 points before climbing all the way up to Florida -29.5.
Florida returns a number of starters back this season, including 10 on defense. The Gators allowed 20.3 points and 300 yards per game in 2011, but with the strong group back, those numbers should improve this year. The concern is on offense, as Florida averaged just 25.5 points per game last year. The Gators have a new quarterback to work in and they also lose their top two rushers. While the offense may sputter, the defense should be strong enough to keep all games close.
Bowling Green also returns 10 starters back on its defense. However, the Falcons allowed 28.8 points and 406 yards per game. The group will be led by defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had 8.5 sacks in 2011. On offense, Bowling Green returns 7 starters, led by quarterback Matt Schilz, who threw for 3,024 yards and 28 TD’s. He does lose his top target, so the Falcons may have to rely more on the running game this season.
In terms of Injuries, Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel is listed as questionable for the game due to a shoulder injury, but he is expected to play. Bowling Green running back Jordan Hopgood will miss the opener due to a violation of team rules.
The Public Bets show that Florida is getting most of the backing. 78% of the wagers on this game have been placed on Florida with a point spread of -29.5 against Bowling Green.
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