A storied SEC rivalry takes on a new look Saturday when Florida faces Tennessee in a prime-time showdown at 7 p.m. ET. In the latest Florida vs. Tennessee odds, the Gators are 3.5-point favorites, while the over-under on total points scored sits at 45.5. Both clubs enter new eras with first-year coaches who hope to restore the programs to national prominence. Florida hired former assistant Dan Mullen to replace Jim McElwain, who was let go in the middle of the season last year. Tennessee hired Jeremy Pruitt to pick up the pieces left by Butch Jones, whose team went winless in SEC play last season. Before you lock in any Florida vs. Tennessee picks, you need to see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times, and those who have followed it have seen massive returns. In the past three years, this proprietary computer model has generated a jaw-dropping $4,210 profit for $100 bettors.
It made some huge calls in Week 3 of the 2018 season as well, nailing BYU against the spread (+23.5) and on the money line (+950) against Wisconsin, as well as LSU against the spread (+10) and on the money line (+315) at Auburn. It finished the week a blistering 31-16 against the spread overall and nailed 10 of its 13 top-ranked picks. Anybody following it finished way, way up.
We can tell you the model is loving the under, saying it hits in well over 60 percent of simulations. It's also generated a strong point-spread selection, saying one side covers more than half the time. That pick is only available at SportsLine.
The Gators hired Mullen in large part to revive a stagnant offense that finished No. 13 in the SEC last season at 22.1 points per game. Incumbent starting quarterback Feleipe Franks had an erratic freshman year, but he won a three-way competition for the job and has produced thus far. He has thrown for 570 yards and nine touchdowns, while also rushing for 103 yards on 20 carries.
Florida also hopes to improve a once-vaunted defense that dropped to the middle of the pack in the SEC last year. The Gators ranked seventh or worse in most major categories and allowed 27.3 points per game. Cornerbacks Marco Wilson and C.J. Henderson lead a strong secondary under first-year coordinator Todd Grantham.
Florida has won four of the past five meetings, though two of those wins came by exactly one point. This means the Gators are not a sure thing to cover the number against a Tennessee club that will be eager to win in Pruitt's SEC debut.
The Volunteers were blown out 40-14 by West Virginia in Week 1, but have responded by beating East Tennessee State and UTEP by a combined score of 83-3.
Holdover Jarrett Guarantano beat out Stanford transfer Keller Chryst for the quarterback job, and the sophomore has been impressive thus far. He has thrown for 494 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while completing 72.2 percent of his attempts. The Volunteers have adopted a run-first approach that has produced 664 yards. Four players have gained at least 118 yards, led by Tim Jordan's 232 on 48 carries with two touchdowns.
Who wins Florida vs. Tennessee? And which side covers over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you should be all over on Saturday, all from the model on a red-hot 31-16 run in its college football picks.