Florida football will open SEC action this week as Gators are set to face No. 4 LSU.
The Gators and Tigers kick off on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Tiger Stadium at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be aired on ABC.
UF (1-1) comes off an 18-16 upset loss to South Florida, while LSU (2-0) defeated Louisiana Tech 23-7.
The Tigers are led by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who has thrown for 469 yards, two touchdowns and an interception this season. Defensively, LSU has only allowed 17 points through its first two games, and has held teams 207.5 yards per game, and 3.7 yards per play.
UF quarterback DJ Lagway has thrown 342 yards, four touchdowns and one interception and has completed 74% of his passes. On defense, the Gators are led by linebacker Myles Graham, who leads the team with 13 total tackles.
Here are predictions, picks and betting odds for Florida vs. LSU.
Stream Florida football vs LSU
Florida vs South Florida odds, money line, over/under
Florida will have a chance at redemption this week after getting upset in an 18-16 loss to USF. The Gators can reset the season by earning a top-five win over LSU and also opening SEC action with a victory. However, that’ll be a tough task with the matchup on the road. Florida will need to find a way to get its offense going against a much-improved LSU defense, should the Gators hope to win. At the same time, LSU’s offense has yet to find consistency, and if UF’s defense can keep the game low-scoring, it could help the Gators secure a needed victory on the road. Yet seeing this game go in Florida’s favor is unlikely. It’s worth noting that whenever these two teams meet historically, something unusual seems to happen, which makes it difficult to predict the outcome. Regardless, LSU should be considered a clear favorite, and Billy Napier’s seat will only get hotter.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook as of Wednesday afternoon.
Spread: 7.5
Over/under: 48.5
Moneyline: (-295) LSU, (+230) Florida
Florida vs South Florida predictions, picks for college football Week 2
Andrew Abadie, The Gainesville Sun
LSU 28, Florida 20: Unfortunately for Florida, it will likely be the same story, but just a different day for the Gators. Florida will struggle to find a spark on offense, while its defense will keep UF in the game. Big plays from Vernell Brown III, Eugene Wilson III or Jaden Baugh will provide some boost for the offense, but unless quarterback DJ Lagway can ignite the offense then it’s hard to see UF coming out on top.
Kevin Brockway, The Gainesville Sun
LSU 24, Florida 16: Florida’s red zone struggles will continue, as the Gators will again settle for too many field goals in a game that requires touchdowns. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will avenge his performance at The Swamp by throwing two TD passes as UF will fail to get enough pressure on Nussmeier to slow LSU’s offense.
Noah Ram, The Gainesville Sun
LSU 24, Florida 17: The Gators will put up a better fight than expected on the Bayou, but the Tigers will ultimately prevail. This game would have been challenging for Florida even before the loss to USF. I do think Billy Napier still has the support of the locker room, and therefore, his players will rally behind him. But LSU is just better than Florida, and its defense that shut down Cade Klubnik in Clemson will cause similar fits for DJ Lagway. Furthermore, coaching issues can’t be resolved in a week, and I think Billy Napier will continue to leave something to be desired when it comes to play calling.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida vs LSU predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 3 college football game?
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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