Florida Football: Betting odds SEC opener Tennessee Vols Wednesday

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13 September 2023

Florida Football: Betting odds SEC opener Tennessee Vols Wednesday

Three days stand between Florida football and its the Southeastern Conference schedule opener against the Tennessee Volunteers inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 16.

The two programs enter the game on opposite sides of the conference spectrum, with the Vols among the upper echelon while the Gators languish in the cellar. What was once a great rivalry has been diminished to a third-tier game over the past couple of decades, though there have been some memorable moments along the way.

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Below is a look at the betting odds ahead of the first game of the 2023 season inside the Swamp between Florida and McNeese. New odds will be published each day as the date draws near, with added info as it becomes available.

The Vols are favored by 6.5 points over the Gators according to BetMGM — a half-point less than Tuesday — while the rest of the lines remained the same. Here are the full odds as of 9:10 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

Here’s when and how you can tune into the game:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023
Time: 7 p.m. EDT
TV Channel:ESPN
Live Stream:fuboTV (try it free)

Joe Milton: 429 PASS YDS / 214.5 YPG / 66.7% / 4 TD / 0 INT / 12 CAR / 40 RUSH YDS / 3 TD
Jalen Wright: 25 CAR / 233 YDS / 116.5 YPG / 0 TD / 5 REC / 26 YDS / 13.0 YPG / 0 TD
Jabari Small: 26 CAR / 162 YDS / 81.0 YPG / 0 TD / 4 REC / 27 YDS / 13.5 YPG / 0 TD
Ramel Keyton: 8 REC / 118 YDS / 59.0 YPG / 1 TD
Squirrel White: 10 REC / 75 YDS / 37.5 YPG / 0 TD
Bru McCoy: 7 REC / 72 YDS / 36.0 YPG / 0 TD
Tyler Baron: 6 TKL / 3.0 TFL / 3.0 SACK
Aaron Beasley: 12 TKL / 6.0 TFL / 2.0 SACK
Kamal Hadden: 3 TKL / 1 INT / 1 PD

Graham Mertz: 526 PASS YDS / 263.0 YPG / 73.8% / 2 TD / 1 INT
Montrell Johnson: 18 CAR / 125 YDS / 62.5 YPG / 2 TD / 3 REC / 41 YDS / 20.5 YPG / 0 TD
Trevor Etienne: 18 CAR / 109 YDS / 54.5 YPG / 1 TD / 5 REC / 26 YDS / 13.0 YPG / 0 TD
Ricky Pearsall: 14 REC / 215 YDS / 107.5 YPG / 1 TD
Marcus Burke: 2 REC / 61 YDS / 30.5 YPG / 0 TD
Eugene Wilson III: 6 REC / 60 YDS / 30.0 YPG / 0 TD
Scooby Williams: 4 TKL / 1.0 TFL / 1.0 SACK
Shemar James: 15 TKL / 2.0 TFL

The Volunteers sport the 28th-ranked defense this year (270 yards allowed per game), and they’ve been more effective on offense, ranking 25th-best with 477.5 yards per game.
Tennessee is totaling 220 passing yards per game offensively this year (81st in the FBS), and is giving up 183 passing yards per game (45th) on the defensive side of the ball.
The Volunteers rank 33rd in run defense this season (87 rushing yards allowed per game), but they’ve been thriving on the other side of the ball, ranking fourth-best in the FBS with 257.5 rushing yards per game.
Tennessee sports the 108th-ranked offense this season in terms of third-down efficiency (32% conversion rate), and has been better on the other side of the ball, ranking 24th-best with a 27.8% third-down percentage allowed.
The Volunteers rank 62nd in college football with an even turnover margin after forcing 2 turnovers (71st in the FBS) and committing two (37th in the FBS).

The Gators rank 40th in the FBS with 453 total yards per contest, but they’ve been carried by their defense, which ranks third-best by surrendering only 191 total yards per contest.
Florida ranks 39th in the FBS with 283 passing yards per contest, but it has been led by its defense, which ranks seventh-best by allowing only 115.5 passing yards per game.
The Gators rank 60th in the FBS with 170 rushing yards per contest, but they’ve been lifted up by their defense, which ranks 23rd-best by allowing only 75.5 rushing yards per contest.
On offense, Florida is bottom-25 on third down, generating a 31.6% third-down conversion rate (25th-worst). On the bright side, it is excelling on the other side of the ball, ceding a 21.7% third-down rate (eighth-best).
At minus-2, the Gators own the 101st-ranked turnover margin in the FBS, with zero forced turnovers (121st in the FBS) and two turnovers committed (37th in the FBS).

It still is difficult to tell exactly what to make of this season’s Florida football squad but one has to be mostly encouraged by the Gators’ performance against McNeese last weekend. The season-opener was embarrassing, but the key to a winning season is making the appropriate adjustments along the way.

I think Florida has and will continue to make adjustments, but it will not be good enough to outlast the Vols this weekend.

Tennessee 35, Florida 28