It’s going to be an explosive end to the season when the Florida Gators pay a visit to state rivals, the Florida State Seminoles. The stakes are high heading into this heated matchup as Florida hope to send off Will Muschamp with a win in his final game as the Gators’ head coach.
Meanwhile, Florida State are playing for more than just an undefeated season. Lose, and they probably fall off their spot in the College Football Playoff.
Looking for more rivalry games to keep you entertained this weekend? Check out our complete previews for Saturday’s Georgia Tech vs. Georgia and the highly-anticipated Iron Bowl.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Florida Gators vs. Florida State Seminoles Betting Preview
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida
When: Saturday, November 29, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Florida Gators (+7.5) at Florida State Seminoles (-7.5); total 53.0 – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Florida Gators
The Gators have won three of their last four games, including an upset of No. 9 Georgia. Heading into their final game of the season and with Muschamp’s final game as Florida’s head coach, they’ll have all the confidence and motivation needed to topple the defending national champions.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Gators are coming off a clinical 52-3 win over FCS team Eastern Kentucky. Quarterback Jeff Driskel completed nine of 11 for 164 yards and three touchdowns filling in for an injured Treon Harris. Harris went 4-for-12 for 162 yards passing and two touchdowns before going down with a bruised knee. Despite the injury, Harris is set to start against state rivals Florida State.
Since playing Harris over for Driskel as the starting quarterback on November 1, Florida’s offense has been more reliant on its ground game. The Gators have averaged 283.3 yards rushing with Harris starting behind center compared to 169.5 with Driskel.
Taking care of the Gators’ backfield are the running back duo of Matt Jones (788 yards and six scores) and Kelvin Taylor (528 yards and six touchdowns). Both are capable of exploiting a vulnerable Florida State front seven which has allowed 4.6 yards per carry in the past two games, despite limiting opponents to 3.8 in the season.
If the Gators can put on long-scoring drives with their pair of running backs, then they may be able to prevent the ‘Noles’ offense from staging another rout.
Create a betting account now and fuel the fire of the many college football rivalries with a couple of bets.
Betting on the Florida State Seminoles
Roberto Aguayo’s 26-yard field goal with three seconds remaining clinched another dramatic Florida State victory on Saturday. The win preserved the Seminoles’ undefeated record, the only one left from a Power 5 conference.
Reigning Heisman Trophy-winner Jameis Winston finished with 281 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Meanwhile, leading receiver Rashad Green caught back-to-back passes of 11 and 15 yards in the game-winning drive to help bring the Seminoles within field goal distance for the win.
Greene finished with 106 yards on eight receptions and set school records for career receptions (254), yards (3,613) and a catch in 40-consecutive games. Winston and Greene face a tough challenge against a talented Gators pass defense, which ranks 33rd in the nation (average of 201.1 yards allowed). Greene, in particular, will have a tough matchup against Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves, who has 14 passes defended, 12 passes broken up and two interceptions this season.
Still, the Seminoles are efficient in scoring (35.5 points per game, 26th in the country), especially in the red zone. Florida State have scored on 42 of their 46 red zone attempts, 29 of which resulted in touchdowns. If the Seminoles find themselves on another potential game-clinching drive late in the game, they may be able to end the season undefeated yet again.
The Seminoles have won 26 consecutive games.
Writer’s Prediction
All streaks come to an end. With a superior running game, the Gators (+7.5) score early and run out the clock to prevent a Florida State comeback.
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