The No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs aim to keep up their recent dominance of the No. 6 Florida Gators when the SEC rivals meet in a crucial showdown Saturday. Kickoff from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., comes at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. The outcome has major implications for both one-loss clubs. The winner takes command of the SEC East race and remains a viable candidate for a College Football Playoff berth. The Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1) have won the last two meetings by 54 combined points, but the Gators (7-1, 3-1) had won the previous three contests. Georgia leads the all-time series 52-43-2 and is 5-4 in this decade. Both clubs head into the rivalry game off a bye last weekend. The Bulldogs are 6.5-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 47 in the latest Georgia vs. Florida odds. Before locking in your Georgia vs. Florida picks, make sure to see the college football predictions from SportsLine senior analyst Josh Nagel.
A Nevada-based handicapper with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel specializes in collegiate athletics and was SportsLine's top college football analyst last year. He is in the midst of another strong season for SportsLine members and heads into this week on a 10-4 run with his college football picks. What's more, he has had a sharp eye for the trajectory of these SEC programs, posting a stunning record of 12-3 on picks involving the Gators or Bulldogs over the past two seasons.
Two weeks ago, Nagel told SportsLine members that Florida (-4.5), coming off its lone defeat of the season to LSU, would outlast upstart South Carolina. He predicted the Gators' edge in firepower would be the difference and was proven correct when they used a 21-7 fourth quarter to seal the victory and cover the spread. Those who followed his advice picked up another winner and anyone who has consistently followed him is way up.
Now, Nagel has zeroed in on Georgia vs. Florida from every angle and released another confident against the spread pick that he's only sharing at SportsLine.
Nagel knows Georgia brings in one of the stingiest defensive units in the country. It allowed a season-high 20 points in the loss to South Carolina, while Notre Dame and Murray State are tied for the second-highest production by a Georgia opponent with 17 points each. The blanking of Kentucky was the Bulldogs' second shutout of the season. Although the poor weather conditions made it difficult for both teams to move the ball, Georgia limited the Wildcats to just nine first downs and 177 total yards.
The Bulldogs broke open a scoreless tie in the second half with a powerful run game led by D'Andre Swift, who scored on runs of 39 and three yards. He finished with 179 yards on 21 carries.
Still, a motivated Bulldogs team is far from assured of covering the Georgia vs. Florida spread against a Gators club that similarly has the SEC title and a playoff berth in its sights.
Nagel also has considered that the Gators have seen their offense hit another gear with the emergence of quarterback Kyle Trask, who is playing in place of injured opening-day starter Feleipe Franks, who is out for the season. Franks was injured against Kentucky as the Gators rallied for a 29-21 victory. They have averaged 32.4 points per game in the five contests with Trask under center. The junior has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,319 yards with 14 touchdowns against four interceptions.
Trask has the luxury of distributing the ball among one of the deepest and most talented receiving corps in the country. Eight Florida players have at least 12 receptions on the season and they are averaging nearly 12 yards per completion. Tight end Kyle Pitts leads the way with 35 catches for 391 yards and four touchdowns.
We can tell you Nagel is leaning over, but he's also identified the critical x-factor that has him all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.
Who wins Florida vs. Georgia? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Florida vs. Georgia spread you should jump on Saturday, all from the seasoned expert who has hit 80 percent of his picks on these teams, and find out.
