Utah vs. Florida Predictions & Best Bets – NCAAF Picks Week 1 (Sat. 9/3)

The No. 7 ranked Utah Utes will face off against the Florida Gators this weekend. The Utes will be traveling to one of the most hostile game environments for a Saturday night matchup in Week 1.

Utah will also have to travel across the country into the Eastern time zone, and this game starting at 7 p.m. ET may be a savior for them. Keep in mind, that both teams are experienced, and they shouldn’t need much time to knock off any rust.

In this article, I’ll break down the odds for this game and you’ll find my favorite Utah vs. Florida predictions.

Utah vs. Florida Predictions

For my Utah vs. Florida picks, I’ll place these wagers at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Utah vs. Florida Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Utah	-3 (-105)	-145	O 51 (-110)
@ Florida	+3 (-115)	+125	U 51 (-110)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2 p.m. ET on Aug. 31.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, Sept. 3
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, Florida
TV: ESPN

Utah vs. Florida Trends

Let’s take a look at some relevant betting trends for Utah vs. Florida:

Florida covered the spread in only 3-of-13 games last season
Florida owned a 3-3 ATS record at home in 2022.
Utah owned a 7-7 ATS record last season.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 72% of the bets and 78% of the handle were on Utah against the spread.
DraftKings also reports that 88% of the bets and 81% of the handle is on the Over.
Several sportsbooks opened this line as Florida -1.5 in May. Which moved all the way to the current Utah -3 spread.

Anthony Richardon’s Ascension

Florida will soar or fail with Richardson this season. He split time with Emory Jones at quarterback in 2021, throwing for 529 yards with 8 touchdowns and 5 interceptions on 64 attempts. He also added 401 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground last season.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham on #Gators QB Anthony Richardson. “This guy is a dual-threat in every sense of the word. He’s got a big arm, he’s got a live arm, he can make every throw. You truly have to be able to defend everything when he’s at quarterback.”

— Nick Marcinko (@nick_marcinko) August 31, 2022

Richardson is entering his redshirt sophomore season, and he’s the unquestioned starter (and full-time quarterback) this season. He displayed tremendous arm potential in 2021, although he’ll need to cut down on the mistakes. He’ll also need to continue to utilize his legs after averaging 7.9 yards per carry last season.

Florida is going to run a spread option offense in 2022, going as far as Richardson can take them this season.

Utah’s Run Offense

Similar to Florida, Utah’s offense starts with the run. Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard are returning to the team. They combined for 1,631 yards and 23 touchdowns on 291 carries last season. Bernard was also outstanding in the passing game.

Utah RB Tavion Thomas has a “throwback” type of game.

Listed at 6020–238 pounds

He’s Coming off his first 1,000-yard szn. He is a downhill hammer with surprisingly quick feet! Good vision to read between the tackles.

He’s RB1 on Utah’s depth chart!pic.twitter.com/fewGNEL8LF

— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) August 24, 2022

Quarterback Cameron Rising adds to Utah’s rushing potential as well, contributing 499 yards and 6 touchdowns on 74 carries in 2021. He’s an outstanding decision-maker with the ball in his hands as well, and the run will open up the pass for the Utes. Rising threw for 2,493 yards with 20 touchdowns and 5 interceptions on 320 attempts last season.

The main key here is that Florida is expected to struggle to defend the run this season. If that’s the case, it will open up everything for Utah’s offense. They’ll have everything in their arsenal if the Gators can’t stop one of the best run offenses in the NCAA.

Utah vs. Florida Predictions

I believe this spread is set appropriately. My first instinct was to back Florida +3, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it with their questionable run defense. On the other hand, I also can’t truly back Utah -3 with them flying to the east coast and such a hostile environment. With that being said, I do think the late start time works in their favor.

Instead, I’m expecting these two offenses to be too much for the defenses to handle. Utah’s run game will open up everything else, and they should be able to find plenty of success in that aspect.

On the other side, Anthony Richardson should quickly turn into one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA. I’m expecting him to take a big step forward this season, and there isn’t any better way to show that off than in this difficult first matchup.

Pick: Over 51 total points | -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Looking for a pick against the spread? Matt Perrault is betting a side in this Utah-Florida matchup.