At the onset, there is an SEC connection to this year’s Gasparilla Bowl. Cause by UCF head coach Gus Malzahn being the former Auburn coach from 2013 through 2021. Thus, Malzahn has plenty of College Football odds knowledge of the Florida Gators. Late on, Florida has been at the forefront of the coaching carousel. Billy Napier was named the new head coach of the Gators from Louisiana. However, for the Gasparilla Bowl, interim coach Greg Knox will lead the Gators. Knox led Florida’s win over Florida State to clinch the bowl berth.
2021 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl Florida Gators vs. UCF Knights
| Date and Time: | Thursday, December 23, 2021, 7 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida |
| Florida vs. Central Florida TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | -6 (-110) | 55½ (-110) | -228 |  |
| Central Florida | +6 (-110) | 55½ (-110) | +188 | |
| ||||
2021 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl SBG Odds Overview
The Gasparilla Bowl has had different names through the years. Specifically, this bowl has been played in South Florida since its creation in 2008. The first ten sportsbook editions were played at Tropicana Field. Subsequently, it moved to Raymond James Stadium in 2018. The Gasparilla Bowl has numerous affiliations. In sum, the payout for this bowl is $1.25 million.
Due to the pandemic, the Gasparilla Bowl was canceled in 2020. On the whole, there’s been a lot of blowouts in this game. Just four of the previous matchups in this bowl were decided by seven points or less. In fact, the last three games had an average winning margin of 22 points. Specifically, UCF became the second multi-game winner with its 48-25 beat down of Marshall in 2019. UCF’s first Gasparilla Bowl came in 2012.
UCF Knights Team Overview
In their regular-season finale, Central Florida beat South Florida 17-13 as 17-point home favorites. The game went under the total of 62. Now UCF is 8-4 straight up, 4-8 against the spread, and 8-4 over/under. Overall, the Knights have CFB metrics of 69th for total offense and 38th for scoring offense. And then on defense, UCF has metrics of 54th overall and 55th for points allowed.
Florida Gators Team Overview
In their final regular-season game, Florida beat Florida State 24-21 as 4-point home favorites. Also, the matchup went under the total of 58.5. Florida stands at 6-6 straight up, 3-9 against the spread, and 5-7 over/under. In sum, Florida has CFB rankings of 11th for total offense and 41st for scoring offense. Defensively, the Gators have NCAAF metrics of 46th overall and 73rd for points allowed.
UCF Knights vs. Florida Gators Against the Spread
- UCF is 4-10 against the spread in its last 14 games
- The Knights are 3-17 straight up against the SEC
- UCF is 5-2 over the total in December action
- The Knights are 4-1 over the total as a dog
- Florida has failed to cover its six most recent games
- The Gators are 3-6 under the total in their last nine outings
- Florida is 7-1 over the total against the American Athletic Conference
- The Gators are 8-1 over the total in December action
- Florida has failed to cover their last five games as chalk
2021 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl SBG Free Picks
In this situation, UCF will be motivated to beat its intrastate foe from the SEC. As mentioned earlier, Florida hasn’t shown good value with the College Football odds in 2021.
UCF vs. Florida SBG Best Bet: UCF Knights.