Rising a Game-Time Decision Vs UF, Utah Remains the Favorite

• The Utah Utes are favored by 6.5 points against the Florida Gators on Thursday night.
• Utah’s quarterback Cameron Rising is a game-time decision, which would have major implications on the spread.
• The total is set at 46.0 points with -110 odds for the over or under.

SALT LAKE CITY – Betting odds for the Utah Utes and Florida Gators’ season opener favors Utah by 6.5 points. Florida is unranked, while Utah is the No. 14 team in the country.

After a three-point loss in last year’s matchup, Utah is the legal sports betting favorite with -260 odds to beat Florida on Thursday night.

Utah Vs Florida Betting Lines

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Utah	-6.5 (-115)	-260	O46.0 (-110)
Florida	+6.5 (-105)	+215	U46.0 (-110)

The Gators thrived in the Swamp last year, posting a 5-2 record at home but 1-5 outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida now rolls into Salt Lake City to the home of the back-to-back Pac-12 Champions.

Meanwhile, Utah went 6-0 at home in 2022 and took down a Caleb Williams-led Southern California team twice. Odds at Utah sports betting sites are factoring in the home and away discrepancies for both teams that heavily favor the Utes.

Quarterback Play Will be Key for Covering Spread

The Florida Gators will rely on Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz to fill in for Anthony Richardson at quarterback after being drafted fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. With Graham Mertz coming off a career-low completion percentage of 57.3%, legal college football betting sites don’t think Mertz can get the win against Utah.

However, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham told reporters that quarterback Cameron Rising is a game-time decision. Rising threw over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2022.

“Yeah, there will be a cutoff date,” Whittingham said. “Probably about 10 minutes before kickoff. If he’s not ready to go then we will go with Plan B.”

Plan B would be redshirt junior Bryson Barnes, who played in 23 games over four years with Utah. Barnes started against the Washington State Cougars last season, leading the Utes to a 21-17 victory after going 17-27 for 175 yards and a touchdown.

With Florida nearly giving up 30 points per game last season, Utah’s 6.5-point spread at legal online sportsbooks is still a good bet even if Bryson Barnes is named the starter.

News tags: Anthony Richardson | Bryson Barnes | Cameron Rising | College Football | Florida Gators | football | Graham Mertz | Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Utah Utes