Gasparilla Bowl Betting Prediction
Florida had a disappointing season but is favored by 7 over UCF in Thursday night’s Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl at 7:00 p.m. ET. Will the Gators end their season on a high note or are the Knights the better play from a betting standpoint?
Game Snapshot
227 UCF Knights (+7) vs. 228 Florida Gators (-7); o/u 55.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 23, 2021
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
TV: ESPN
UCF Knights Game Notes
Central Florida freshman QB Mikey Keene completed 14-of-26 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown and in Saturday’s 17-13 win over South Florida. Mikey Keene played well last week with 208 yards and two touchdowns and looked good again this week as he faced another bad defense in South Florida. It took him some time to get going, but he looked really good in the final drive of the first half. He was able to dissect the Bulls’ secondary, and he made a throw in a tight window to Brandon Johnson where he just got a foot into the right front corner of the end zone to get in for seven yards. That touchdown would be the only passing touchdown for either side and prove to be the difference-maker. The Knights will now wait for their fate in the bowl season.
Florida Gators Game Notes
Florida redshirt freshman QB Anthony Richardson (knee) will not play in the upcoming Gasparilla Bowl against UCF. Richardson (6’4/236) had minor knee surgery this week and is aiming to be back to full health for spring practices. A torn meniscus had been hampering Richardson dating back to his high school days and throughout the season before he aggravated the ailment in a 24-21 victory over Florida State on November 27. With new HC Billy Napier in town and looking towards the future, hopefully Richardson will be healthy by April and ready to compete for the starting quarterback job.
UCF vs. Florida Betting Prediction
The Gators are 0-6 against the spread in their last six non-conference games, are 0-5 against the number in their last five games as a favorite and are 0-6 at the betting window in their last six games overall. They’re also 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 neutral site games and are 1-7-1 at the betting window in their last nine games coming off a win. The Knights are 43-21 against the spread in their last 64 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game and are 35-15-1 against the number in their last 51 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
GASPARILLIA BOWL BETTING PREDICTION: UCF KNIGHTS +7
