Miami Hurricanes at Florida Gators Betting Preview – Week 1
A big state rivalry game will take place on Saturday afternoon. The Miami Hurricanes are on the road at the Florida Gators. The game is slated for 3:30 pm ET and will take place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. The last time these two teams met was back in 2019, and the Gators came away with a 24-20 win over the Hurricanes.
Miami is ranked 19th to start the season. Out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Hurricanes lost in their bowl game to Rutgers a season ago. The Hurricanes wrapped up the season with a 7-6 record in 2023.
For Florida, they are part of the SEC. The Gators are unranked to open the season. A year ago, Florida went 5-7, and finished the season with a home loss to the Florida State Seminoles. The Gators are looking to get back to a bowl game in 2024.
Miami comes into this game as the favorite, despite being on the road. The Hurricanes are -2.5. The total for this game is listed at 53.5.
Expectations for Miami
The Miami Hurricanes are going to send Cam Ward out under center this season. He is one of four guys who are projected to start on offense for Miami as part of the transfer portal. Ward will take over for Tyler Van Dyke who struggled big time a season ago.
The starting running back should be Damien Martinez. He is another impact transfer. Samuel Brown, a receiver, is another new addition. The returning offensive threats are Xaiver Restrepo and Jacolby George. Restrepo was the top receiver for Miami last season, with over 1,090 yards on the season.
Miami will head home for their next two games following this one. They will host Florida A+M on September 7th and then Ball State. The next road game for the Hurricanes is on the road at South Florida.
Gators Looking to Rebound
It was not a pretty season for the Florida Gators. The Gators won just five games. Despite that, Graham Mertz returns under center for the Gators. He threw for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns, with three interceptions a season ago. His top target, Ricky Pearsall is gone. He was 35 yards shy of 1,000.
Eugene Wilson III, Kahleil Jackson and transfer Chimere Dike will be the top targets for the Gators. Last season, Wilson III was second on the team with 538 yards, and led the team with six touchdown catches. Montrell Johnson Jr is the running back for Florida. He rushed for 817 yards a season ago.
Florida plays their first three games at home. They will host Samford next, and then welcome Texas A+M to town. On September 21st, the Gators play their first road game at the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Hurricanes Blow by Gators
The Miami Hurricanes are going to go on the road and win this game. Florida just cannot seem to get going, after big time struggles last season. The Gators just do not have the talent that they have had in years past. In the end, we are going to take the talented Miami Hurricanes to beat the Florida Gators. Our final bet for this game is the Miami Hurricanes -2.5 over the Florida Gators. Enjoy the game and best of luck with all your College Football betting!