Tennessee vs. Florida Spread Picks, Betting Odds and Score Prediction (12/5/20)

Week 14 of the 2020 college football season is approaching, with Florida taking on Tennessee in an SEC battle on Saturday.
While Florida is coming off a big win over Kentucky, Tennessee’s last contest ended in a 30-17 loss at the hands of Auburn.
Here are the latest odds, spread, moneyline, and total for Florida-Tennessee, along with a prediction.

The 2020 college football regular season is nearing its close, and for the Week 14 slate of games, we have what should be an entertaining SEC matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET this Saturday. The No. 6-ranked Florida Gators (7-1) will face the Tennessee Volunteers (2-5) at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN. The Gators most recently defeated the University of Kentucky by a score of 34-10 this past Saturday, while Tennessee last played on Nov. 21 against Auburn, a game in which it was soundly beaten 30-17.

Florida’s win did not alter its positioning in the AP Top 25 poll.

Florida – Tennessee 2020 Betting Line

Florida enters this game as a 16.5-point road favorite at FanDuel Tennessee Sportsbook. The wide spread likely has to do with the differences in talent level between each program. While Florida is one of the top teams in the nation and fields one of the country’s top college quarterbacks in Kyle Trask, Tennessee hasn’t won a game since Oct. 3 when it defeated Missouri.

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Oddsmakers everywhere, including at the top Tennessee online sports betting apps, most definitely believe that if Trask and the Gators can get into a rhythm against this struggling Volunteers squad, they’ll be able to win by more than three possessions. Not to mention, Florida’s average winning margin is 20.4 points, while Tennessee’s average losing margin is 21.0 points.

In terms of how to play the game, I’m taking Florida with the spread. Right now, the Gators are red hot and riding a five-game winning streak that includes a big 44-28 victory over Georgia, and I just don’t think Tennessee fields enough firepower to keep up with an offense that’s currently scoring an impressive 43.4 points per game.

I may also roll Florida into a multi-leg moneyline parlay. DraftKings Sportsbook has the moneyline at Florida -715, so they could work as part of three or four-leg play.

The total is where it gets tricky, and right now, it’s set at over-under 61.5. Florida carries the necessary weapons to fairly contribute to the total, but there’s not much evidence to suggest Tennessee can do its part to help race over this total.

The Volunteers are putting up an average of 20.1 points per game, a very weak mark in comparison to Florida’s average in that category. Florida’s defense has also been solid as of late, allowing fewer than 20 points in three of its last five games.

The under has hit in three of Florida’s eight games (5-3) and five of Tennessee’s seven games (2-5) this year. Florida’s average total points is 69.3, while Tennessee’s is 51.4.

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Florida-Tennessee Game Preview

As mentioned above, the Gators are coming off a 34-10 win over the Kentucky Wildcats, and boy was it a big game for tight end Kyle Pitts. The junior caught five passes for 99 yards and three touchdowns, while Trask threw for 256 yards and a trio of scores on 21-of-27 passing. On the other side of the ball, defensive back Shawn Davis, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, and defensive end Tre’Vez Johnson all notched interceptions.

This was actually somewhat of a game to begin with, considering Florida was only leading 14-10 at halftime. Nonetheless, the Gators shut out the Wildcats in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points from halftime to the final whistle.

Tennessee, on the other hand, most recently lost to the Auburn Tigers, but a silver lining was how dominant running back Eric Gray was for the Vols. Gray rushed for a whopping 173 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. He additionally caught a trio of passes for 49 yards.

Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, however, wasn’t so impressive, only throwing for 156 yards and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown by Auburn defensive back Smoke Monday.

Auburn quarterback Bo Nix threw for 220 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 17-of-26 passing, while Tigers running back D.J. Williams rushed for 66 yards and one score on 11 carries.

Nix and the Tigers were an easier opponent than Trask and the Gators will be, so expect Tennessee to struggle even more this coming Saturday.

Florida – Tennessee Historical Matchup Stats

These two programs face each other every single year, and as of late, it’s been Florida emerging victoriously for the most part. The Gators have won four of the last five meetings, including each of the last three. The last time Tennessee won was in 2016 by a score of 38-28, a game in which it covered the 7.5-point spread (the Vols were favored). Florida, however, covered in each of its four most recent wins over Tennessee.

Last season, the favored Gators won by a score of 34-3 and covered the 13.0-point spread. They additionally hit the under on the total (49.0). In 2018, the Gators were favored by 4.5 points and won 47-21, hitting the over (47.0) on the total.

How to watch Florida – Tennessee

Date: Saturday, Dec. 5
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, TN)
TV: CBS

Betting Picks and Score Prediction

Florida is simply more talented on either side of the ball and is red hot, having won its last five games while Tennessee has lost five straight. Simply speaking, the Gators are one of the top teams in the SEC and the Volunteers are having a tough time keeping up in that same conference. Thus, I’d take Florida to win outright (-715 on the moneyline) as a sweetener on a multi-leg parlay. I’d also lay the -16.5 points. Oh, and as mentioned before, I’d additionally take the under on the total (61.5).

Final Score Prediction: Florida wins 38-14

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