Orange Bowl Prediction
Will No. 24 Virginia be able to put up a fight against No. 9 Florida when the two meet up in the Capital One Orange Bowl tonight at 8PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
Capital One Orange Bowl
251 Virginia vs. 252 Florida
Monday, December 30, 2019
8PM ET – Hard Rock Stadium
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Florida is the clear favorite in this game, as the Gators are getting odds of -14.5 points against Virginia. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 54 points. The public betting currently has 67 percent going on Florida as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Virginia has breakout season
Despite a 62-17 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship, Virginia won four straight prior to that and ended a 15-year losing streak to Virginia Tech this season while winning its first ACC division title. The Cavs are 9-4 on the season, 6-6-1 against the spread and 9-4 with the over.
Virginia has been led by its defense this season as well, allowing 26.5 points and 359.8 yards per contest. Jordan Mack leads the defense this season with 69 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Offensively, UVA is putting up 32.4 points and 390 yards per contest. Bryce Perkins is leading Virginia this season with 3,215 passing yards and 18 touchdowns while also rushing for 745 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wayne Taulapappa has added 459 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while Hasise Dubois is the team’s top receiver with 65 catches for 979 yards and four touchdowns.
Florida looks for 11th win
Florida was playing its best football to end the season, winning its last three games over Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida State by a combined score of 119-23. The Gators are 10-2 on the season, 8-4 against the spread and 7-5 with the under.
The Gators are one of the stronger defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 14.4 points and 301.6 yards per game while holding opponents to only 192 passing yards per game. Jonathan Greenard has led the defense with 49 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Offensively, Florida has improved throughout the season, averaging 33 points and 420.9 yards per contest. Kyle Trask has filled in nicely at QB. He has thrown for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Lamical Perine is the team’s leading rusher with 538 yards and four touchdowns, while Kyle Pitts is the top receiver with 51 catches for 610 yards and five scores.
College Football Betting Trends
Virginia
The Cavaliers are 11-4 against the spread in their last 15 games against a winning team and in 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a failed cover.
Florida
The Gators are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven bowl games as a favorite and 4-0 ATS in their last four as a favorite.
Prediction:
This is a big spread, but I think Florida should be able to cover it as long as it comes in focused and motivated. Virginia should feel like it has nothing to lose tonight, so I expect the Cavs to try and pull out all the stops. However, UVA is a 1-player team and that should be easy for this Florida defense to key in on. I don’t expect the Cavs to be able to put up a lot of points in this one. Florida isn’t a great offense in its own right, but I think the Gators will have the size and athleticism up front to move the ball effectively.
Orange Bowl Prediction: Florida -14.5
Related: Orange Bowl Total Prediction