Miami Hurricanes vs Florida Gators NCAAF Betting Prediction

NCAAF Miami Hurricanes vs Florida Prediction 8/31/2024

The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators will each be playing their first game of the season on Saturday, August 31st. This game will be played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and televised on ABC.

ABC is set to broadcast the week one non-conference matchup between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Gators from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Kick-off is at 3:30 ET as Miami is the slight -2.5-point favorite on the road. The money line odds are -129 for Miami and +105 for Florida, with the over/under line currently at 53.5 points.

Miami Hurricanes vs Florida Gators

Miami Records And Recent Play

Florida Records And Recent Play

Miami Offense Breakdown

Cam Ward, who transferred from Washington State after throwing for 3736 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, is expected to make a big impact for the Miami Hurricanes this year. He comes into the season with the 9th best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+1933). Last season, Miami ranked 32nd in the country in scoring, putting up 31.5 points per game. They were also 32nd in passing yards per game and 36th in passing yards, averaging 258 yards per game through the air.

On the ground, the Hurricanes averaged 173.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked 44th nationally. They also added Damien Martinez, who ran for 1185 yards last season at Oregon State. Martinez has the 4th best odds to win the Doak Walker Trophy (+1200) as the top running back in the nation. Miami is also returning Mark Fletcher Jr., who rushed for 514 yards last season.

Florida Offense Breakdown

Montrell Johnson Jr. returns to the Florida Gators’ backfield after rushing for 817 yards and five touchdowns last season. The Gators’ offense was 54th in the country in scoring, averaging 28.4 points per game. Last season, they were 75th in rushing yards per game and 56th in passing yards per game, with an average of 257.2 yards through the air. Florida also had the 2nd best completion percentage in the country, at 72.2%.

At the quarterback position, Graham Mertz is the top returning player after throwing for 2,878 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. The Gators have also added Clay Millen from Colorado State. In the receiving corps, Eugene Wilson III returns after putting up 538 yards last season, and they have added Elijhah Badger, who had 713 yards last year at Arizona State.

Miami Team Defense

Miami’s defense was solid against the run last season, allowing just 106 rushing yards per game, which ranked 20th in the nation. Overall, they gave up 22.8 points per game, placing them 34th in the country. However, their pass defense was less effective, ranking 80th and allowing 216 passing yards per game. Quarterbacks completed 56.4% of their passes against Miami last season.

Miami Team Defense

Florida’s defense was middle of the road last season, finishing 50th in the country by allowing 27.6 points per game. They struggled to stop the run, giving up 157.6 rushing yards per game (100th), and their pass defense was also a concern, ranking 97th in passing yards allowed. Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 98.2, and the Gators’ defense allowed 8 yards per pass attempt, which was 122nd nationally.

Miami vs Florida Trends

  • Through their last ten road contests, the Miami Hurricanes offense has averaged 23 points per game while allowing an average of 21. Miami posted an overall record of 5-5 while going 4-6 ATS.
  • Across the Florida Gators last ten home games, the team averaged 25 points per game while allowing 35. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 5-5, while going 2-8 straight-up.
  • The last ten games that Florida was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 2-8 straight up.
  • Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Miami Hurricanes have a strong record of 3-2. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.

Hurricanes vs Gators Prediction

With the Gators as +2.5 point underdogs at home, we like their chances to not only cover the spread but also win straight-up vs. Miami. Our projected final score is 31-27 in favor of Florida, making them a strong bet for this week one matchup.

For the over/under, with the line set at 53.5 points, our projection of 58 total points suggests taking the over as the best play.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.