CFB Best Bets, Picks and Analysis For Utah vs. Florida on September 3, 2022

Billy Napier is looking to make a statement in his first game as the head coach of the Florida Gators, as his team gets a chance to beat a Utah Utes team that made it to the Rose Bowl last season. This one will be played at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida at 7:00PM ET on Saturday, September 3. That means that the Gators will be playing in front of one of the best crowds in all of college football, and that will surely have people wanting to bet on Florida. 

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For the most up to date CFB computer picks, check out our interactive predictions for Utah vs. Florida. It's constantly updating based on hundreds of different data points.

Utah vs. Florida Best Bets, Predictions and Analysis

Spread Breakdown

Utah essentially turned into a powerhouse after turning to Cameron Rising at quarterback last season, and it's just hard to see the Utes not being amongst the best the Pac-12 has to offer this year. Of course, the best of the Pac-12 isn't necessarily better than above-average SEC teams, which is what Florida figures to be in Year 1 under Napier. But Utah — and potentially this year's USC squad — is an outlier in a lousy conference and leans closer to being a true contender than just a good team in a bad conference. 

Last year, Utah was 14th in the nation in scoring offense and Rising is back to continue leading a very good passing game. The Utes also return three starters along the offensive line, along with star running back Tavion Thomas, and that means that this should be another year in which Utah runs the ball extremely well. For a Florida team that was has gotten away from having an elite defense the last two years, this is just a difficult match-up so early in the season. 

MORE: CFB Futures Probabilities

The Gators should be pretty exciting on offense this year, as dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson looks like Cam Newton if you squint hard enough. But all in all, Florida isn't very experienced on the offensive side of the ball, and losing running back Dameon Pierce to the NFL is a pretty tough blow for the group. 

This should be an exciting game to watch and we generally think there are better days ahead for the Gators. But it's just really hard to suggest backing Florida against a team that is this good and at this point in its rebuild. The Gators are 0-6 against the spread in non-conference games since the start of the 2020-21 season, while the Utes are 26-15 straight-up and 24-15-2 ATS in games with a line of +3 to -3 under head coach Kyle Whittingham.

A College Football MATCHUP BEING SLEPT ON in Week 1🗣️

UTAH VS FLORIDA

#7 Utah looks to build off a 10-4 PAC-12 Championship Season

Florida looks to start the Billy Napier Era with a BANG

The Swamp Will Be LOUD and CRAZY

This Game Could Be the BEST Game of the Weekend pic.twitter.com/nrUMsgukSF

— NKL (@nklsports) August 30, 2022

Over/Under Breakdown

While Utah's offense is one that can be really explosive, the Utes are still going to pound away with Thomas and that is a good thing for those looking to bet the Under. Even when Utah is rolling, the team is going to be killing the clock. And that's something that can also be said for Florida, which will likely try to establish the run and will also allow Richardson to use his legs quite often. 

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On top of that, both of these teams are trying to make sizeable improvements on defense, so they'll be eager to perform at a higher level in their season opener. Also, the Under is 6-4 in Florida home games since the start of the 2020-21 season. Perhaps that has something to do with the high temperature and humidity in The Swamp. 

Best Bet: Utes vs. Gators

This is something of a tough game to call, as we just don't know exactly how the Gators will look under Napier. But we do know that the Utes have been a beacon of consistency under Whittingham. Utah should be ready for this difficult challenge, which is why we're rolling with the Utes -2.5 (feel free to take the -140 ML, if you're willing to pay up for it).

We're also using the DraftKings bet $5 to get $200 offer mentioned at the top of this article to do it because, even if Utah doesn't cover, new customers still get $200 just for joining and betting $5 on the game. You can claim it ➡️ here ⬅️. 

Best Player Props for Week 1

The team at Prop or Chop have found two player props they love in this weekend, so check them out on this week's episode below. And remember to bet them with DraftKings Sportsbook, where new customers can throw down $5 and score an instant $200 in bonuses - even if your ticket doesn't cash!

BEST BETS: Our Best CFB Bets for Saturday