Florida-Utah betting line tightening on uncertainty surrounding Cam Rising
Florida at No. 14 Utah is showing some interesting betting line movement over a week from the primetime clash in Salt Lake City.
Current lines at FanDuel and Caesars have Utah as a 4.5-point favorite over UF for the Aug. 31 clash, a follow-up of last year’s meeting in The Swamp. Both books posted opening lines with the Utes as 9-point favorites, according to Vegas Insider.
The tightening of the betting line is likely a reflection of the uncertainty surrounding Cam Rising. Utah’s standout quarterback continues to recover after tearing his ACL in the Rose Bowl.
“He’s progressing,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham recently told reporters when asked if Rising was still limited. “He’s progressing through practice.”
Rising was 22-of-32 passing for 216 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, rushing 7 times for 91 yards last year against the Gators. He finished the 2022 season with more 3,000 passing yards.
Whittingham has yet to announce which Utah’s starting quarterback for this year’s rematch.
“Probably next week, and we’ll just see,” Whittingham said with a heavy sigh Monday when he met with reporters. “It’s a day-by-day thing right now and that’s as good as I can tell you.”
It was long presumed that Brandon Rose, who had been No. 2 on the depth chart, would get the start in Week 1 if Rising were unable to play. Rose, however, suffered a serious August practice injury that will reportedly sideline him for months.
Bryson Barnes has been considered Utah’s 3rd quarterback, though Nate Johnson is reportedly pushing him in practice. In 2022, Barnes logged 57 passing attempts for 430 yards, with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Johnson, a former 4-star recruit, played in 4 games and redshirted last season.
The Florida-Utah game is set for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Aug. 31, airing on ESPN.
