Florida vs Kentucky 2019 College Football Week 3 Spread & Pick

Florida vs Kentucky 2019 College Football Week 3 Spread & Pick

Written by on September 11, 2019

The rivalry between Florida and Kentucky has been one of the most one-sided in all of college football. The Gators beat Kentucky 31 straight times, from 1987 to 2017, until the Wildcats went down to Florida and ended that streak a year ago — the Wildcats’ first win in Gainesville since 1951. Overall, Florida has won 51 of the 69 prior meetings between the two schools. Can Kentucky make it two in a row this year? Or will Florida get revenge on the Wildcats and start a new winning streak of their own? Check out our sports betting preview of this SEC East matchup.

Florida vs Kentucky 2019 College Football Week 3 Spread & Pick

When: Saturday, September 14, 2019, 7:00pm ET Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, KY TV: ESPN Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network / UK Sports Network Live Stream: ESPN+ College Football Odds: Florida -8 / O/U 50.5

Why should you bet on the Gators?

Florida has opened 2-0 after a 45-0 thumping of Tennessee-Martin in Week 2. Quarterback Feleipe Franks has completed 77.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 524 yards with four touchdowns and two picks. Josh Hammond and Van Jefferson both have over 100 receiving yards for the Gators this season. On the defensive side of the ball, Kyree Campbell leads the team with 10 tackles, and Jabari Zuniga is the sack leader with three. The Gators have covered in five of their last six games on the road and in four of their last five overall. Kentucky has failed to cover in four of their last five SEC contests. It is true that Kentucky pulled off the big upset a year ago in Gainesville, but Florida has shown a lot more quality so far this season and will have the motivation of gaining revenge for that loss a year ago. If you like the Gators, you see them taking care of business against an SEC East foe instead of taking matters too lightly, as they may have done last year.

Why should you put your money on the Wildcats?

Kentucky also enters the game with a 2-0 record to start the season, after beating Eastern Michigan, 38-17, last week. Quarterback Terry Wilson has a combined 360 yards and two touchdown passes after the first two weeks, completing 63.5 percent of his passes. Kavosley Smike and Asim Rose have combined for 316 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Lynn Bowden Jr and Ahmad Wagner have combined for 259 receiving yards, and the team leader in tackles is DeAndre Square, with 16. Kentucky snuck out of Gainesville with a win last year, and if you like them here, you see them pulling off a similar trick — or at least hanging close enough to cover. Florida is deeper than they were last year, and they have shown that they can take care of business on the road, while Kentucky waned down the stretch in 2018. Kentucky does have the talent to stick close for most of the game, though, and that home crowd should give them a lot of momentum.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I like what Kentucky was able to accomplish last year, as they seem finally like they are going to give away their role as a doormat in the SEC East and start making the rest of the division take them seriously. With that said, Florida has better talent on both sides of the ball and should be able to control the game much more effectively than they did a year ago. I see this game staying close for the first three quarters but then Florida pulling away, to a 27-16 win.