As of Sunday evening, Georgia was a significant favorite over Florida by 18 points with a point total of 53.5 for their game in Jacksonville this Saturday. It will mark the fourth consecutive game the Bulldogs have been double-digit favorites over the Gators (after Georgia was a double-digit favorite over Florida just four times in 70 meetings from 1951-2020).

Matchup: Georgia is 6-1 straight up this season but 2-5 against the spread (ATS). Prior to last week’s open date, the Bulldogs defeated top-ranked Texas, 30-15, as a 5-point underdog. Florida is 4-3 straight up and 4-3 ATS. Prior to last week’s bye, the Gators defeated Kentucky, 48-20, as a 2-point underdog. Florida has covered each of its last four games, and by an average of more than 15 points.

Coaching Trends: Under Kirby Smart, and excluding the erratic 2020 COVID season, Georgia is a remarkable 20-6 ATS when having more than a week to prepare (i.e., season openers, coming off open weeks, and most bowl appearances). Smart is 5-2 straight up and 5-2 ATS vs. Florida in the last seven meetings. Notably, including his time at Louisiana-Lafayette, Billy Napier is 21-9-1 ATS when an underdog. In three seasons at Florida, Napier is 5-2 ATS when a double-digit underdog.

Series History: Georgia is attempting to defeat Florida for the fourth consecutive time for the first time since 1983. Last season, the Bulldogs defeated the Gators, 43-20, as 14.5-point favorites.

In the last decade, nine of this game’s 10 meetings have been decided by double-digits with a winning scoring margin of more than 20 points. Georgia being favored by 18 points would trail just 2022 (-23) and 1971 (-21) as the most the Bulldogs have been favored in this series (beginning in 1949). The biggest underdog in this series to be victorious was Georgia in 1997, when the Bulldogs, as 20.5-point underdogs, upset the Gators, 37-17.