🏈 College Football On A Thursday

With a handful of games already in the books, college football is finally in full swing, and there's a ridiculous amount of action coming your way this week. First things first — a Thursday night battle brewing out in Utah, as the Utes look to make it three straight Pac-12 titles vs. a new look Gators squad 🍿 (2 min read)

Author

Kyle Trapp
August 30, 2023

Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Florida vs. Utah Preview

It doesn’t get much more bittersweet than the end of August. On one hand, it means summer is just about over, but on the other hand…it means football is finally back. And if you’re a college fan, there’s a chance your favorite team has already hit the field 😎

  • “Week 0” of the college football season didn’t have any marquee matchups or major upsets, but it did feature some of the sport’s top players. In #6 USC’s blowout win over San Jose State, presumptive first overall pick and the reigning Heisman winner (+450 to repeat 👀) Caleb Williams showed exactly why many think the Arizona Cardinals are in full-on tank mode ⬇️

Over in South Bend, #13 Notre Dame got a stellar performance from their QB as well while breezing to victory over Navy. A highly-coveted transfer from Wake Forest, Sam Hartman could have the Fighting Irish in CFP contention if his debut is a sign of more to come 😤

Last weekend was just the appetizer though — this week, we get the main course (take a look at the full schedule of games here). And lucky for us, we don’t even have to wait til Saturday for the high-level showdowns to begin. Check out the lines for Thursday night’s meeting between the Florida Gators and the #19 Utah Utes 👇

  • Spread: Utah -3.5

  • Moneyline: Utah -194, Florida +160

  • Over/Under: 44.5

  • When: 8PM EST on ESPN

It’s no surprise the Utes fancy themselves contenders for the last ever PAC-12 title; friendly reminder they’re the two-time reigning champs. But with four other conference teams joining them in the Top-18 of the AP Poll, they’ll have their work cut out for them to make it three in a row 😳

  • Even with their status as back-to-back champs, Utah doesn’t get the same national attention as some of their west coast rivals. A season-opening win over a storied SEC program would certainly make some waves, but it remains to be seen if they’ll have to pull it off short-handed..and the line keeps moving accordingly 😬

The QB talent level in the Pac-12 is just absurd this season, and if healthy, Cam Rising is right near the top of the list. The senior is coming off an ACL tear in last year’s Rose Bowl, but prior to that sour note his season featured 32 total TDs against just 8 INTs 💪

  • Even if Rising is ruled out or limited, I still like the Utes’ chances in this one. Florida is dealing with QB uncertainty of their own, which could spell trouble with Utah returning eight starters from last year’s impressive defense

  • Anthony Richardson is now suiting up for the Colts instead of the Gators, so Florida looks set to hand the keys to their offense over to Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz. His stats at Wisco were…not great. But we’ve seen fresh starts work wonders in the past, so maybe not all hope is lost in Gainesville ⬇️

It’s safe to say Mertz is starting his Gator tenure with a trial by fire — debuts don’t get much tougher than road games in Utah. But second-year head coach Billy Napier is confident in his QB, and with a program like Florida, you know there will be high-end talent to support him. Oddsmakers are right to back the home team, but this matchup should be a god one 😏

Trivia Question: Which former Utah Ute was drafted in the first round this year?

Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For My Parlay Gurus

A little more optimism regarding Rising’s availability would go a long way, but either way I’m backing Utah on their home turf tomorrow night. I think they cover in a low-scoring affair — check it this parlay 👇

  • Utah -3.5 vs. Florida: -120

  • Under 44.5 Total Points: -115

$100 on this bet would win you $243 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: The Bills selected Utah TE Dalton Kincaid with the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft

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