Kentucky vs Florida pick ATS. It has become a tradition over the 20 or so years for the Gators to SMASH Kentucky on the football field. Everybody believes that this will happen...But can Florida cover the fairly lengthy spread?
Florida vs. Kentucky
A scorching start has Gators fans excited about what's to
come this season. They should be able to roll over Kentucky this weekend, but
covering a humungous spread is a different story.
Anything other than a Florida win would be flabbergasting,
as the college football odds attest. Right now sportsbooks have the Gators
favored by anywhere from 24 to 25 points.
A total play may be more to your liking due to such heavy
chalk. If it is, the O/U can be located at 51.5, with little movement occurring
in the opening days.
What's our top free pick for this College Football showdown?
Florida Gators
The Gators have one of the toughest schedules of any team in
college football, but so far it hasn't mattered.
Already they've beaten both Texas A&M and Tennessee on
the road, putting them at 3-0 ahead of this weekend's home date with Kentucky.
The win over the Vols was impressive as they come. Once
again Florida kept their composure, despite being down 20-13 at one point in
the third quarter. The Gators revved it up though, scoring 24 straight points
to put the game out of reach. Jeff Driskel (14/20, 219 yards, two touchdowns) was
efficient, but the running game is what torched Tennessee.
Florida accounted for 336 rushing yards and two scores, with
Mike Gillislee going for 115 yards on 18 carries and Trey Burton running wild
on only three carries. Burton had 91 yards and two touchdowns with those three
touches. Even Driskel got in on the action, running eight times for 81 yards.
After this weekend, the Gators begin a daunting schedule
which will see them play LSU, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Georgia and then
Missouri over their next five games.
Kentucky Wildcats
One of the few punching bags in the SEC, the Wildcats have
limped out to a 1-2 start this season.
Losses have come to Louisville on the road (32-14) and to
Western Kentucky this past weekend at home. Kentucky lost 32-31 in overtime
when the Hilltoppers successfully ran a trick play on a two-point conversion –what
a way to lose, especially in your own stadium.
It wasn't as if the game was stolen away from then either.
The Wildcats were killed in time of possession and had four turnovers to
Western Kentucky's two. Maxwell Smith may have had success picking up yardage
(332 passing yards and two touchdowns), but he threw four costly picks.
Kentucky has lost 25 straight games to Florida and it's
going to be 26 once this weekend is over.
The Wildcats will come out with a lot of heart after such a
tough loss last week, but the talent mismatch will likely prove too much to
overcome for the visitors. All of Kentucky's talent is on the basketball court.
Free Pick
The only thing worrying me is a possible look-ahead spot as
the Gators will host #2-ranked LSU next weekend and may not be as completely
focused on the task at hand versus Kentucky. That said, the Wildcats are god awful at stopping the run,
which is obviously a massive problem against Gillislee, Burton and the Gators.
Florida is going to have little trouble moving the ball up
and down the field, and then their vastly improved defense should be able to
reign in Smith. If the Kentucky QB threw four interceptions against Western
Kentucky, imagine the possibilities with the far more athletic Gators next up.
Driskel is becoming more and more comfortable each week
under center and I think he, along with that staunch run game, will guide the
surging Gators to a dominating home win on Saturday. That is why I pick Florida.
College Football Pick: Florida Gators -24