Florida’s perfect start to the season continued on Saturday with a narrow victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. The Gators will look to keep the momentum going even further when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers in a marquee college football showdown this coming Saturday.
Who will emerge victorious in this NCAA clash? Read on below for a preview of this SEC East matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Utah vs. Oregon and USC vs. Arizona State.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Tennessee Volunteers vs. Florida Gators Preview
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
When: Saturday, September 26, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Tennessee Volunteers (+1.5) at Florida Gators (-1.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers returned to winning ways Saturday with an emphatic 55-10 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts. It was a huge bounce-back win for the Vols, who suffered a heartbreaking 31-24 overtime loss to Oklahoma last weekend. The Vols squandered a 17-0 advantage in that game, which marked Tennessee’s largest blown lead ever in a home loss.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]There would be no repeat of that collapse this time around, though, as the Gators breezed to a comfortable victory over their Football Championship Subdivision opponent. Tennessee grabbed a 41-3 lead at halftime by outscoring Western Carolina 31-3 in the second quarter. That represented the Volunteers’ highest-scoring quarter since they scored 35 in the first period in a 63-20 rout of Arkansas back in 2000.
They will look to sustain the momentum of that huge victory when they take on the red-hot Gators this coming Saturday. For the Vols to record a major upset, they will need to continue their excellent play on the offensive end. Tennessee has compiled 138 points this season, its highest total over its first three games since the 1914 squad scored 171 points in its first three outings.
Expected to lead the Vols’ charge in this game is running back Jalen Hurd. He already has 300 rushing yards this season and five touchdowns. Hurd will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Florida defense that has surrendered just one rushing touchdown this campaign.
The Volunteers are 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Florida Gators
The Florida Gators will head to their SEC showdown with Tennessee with momentum on their side after edging past the Kentucky Wildcats, 14-9, on Saturday night. It was another solid victory for the Gators, who improved their season-record to 3-0. With the win, the Gators stretched their unbeaten run against the Wildcats to 29 games. That’s the nation’s longest active winning streak over an opponent.
Key to Florida’s victory on Saturday was their incredible defense. The Gators registered six sacks for 50 yards and also nabbed two interceptions. They held the Wildcats’ Patrick Towles to 8-of-24 passing for just 126 yards and surrendered just 115 yards rushing behind those half-dozen sacks. That proved to be crucial for the Gators, as they just barely outgained the Wildcats (245-241) in total offense.
The Gators will look to stretch their unbeaten run to four games when they take on the Tennessee Volunteers this coming Saturday. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Vols in the past. The Gators have won all of their last 10 games against the Volunteers. During that stretch, the Gators have outscored the Vols almost 2-to-1.
The Gators are 6-4 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Florida (-1.5) wins, 31-24.
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