UGA Football Listed as Favorite to Beat Florida Gators | Win the Cocktail Party
ATHENS - Kirby Smart’s UGA Football will enter the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party as slightly more than a touchdown favorite to topple the Florida Gators, who dismissed coach Billy Napier a week ago.
The Dawgs are considered a 7.5-point favorite to beat the Gators, which is the lowest the Bulldogs have been favored in the rivalry since losing in 2020 to Dan Mullen’s Gators. The line means the Bulldogs have “about” a 75% chance to win the game straight up.
Only twice in nine years have Kirby’s Dawgs favored around a touchdown to beat the Gators in his nine previous meetings.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 43-35 win over No. 5 Ole Miss in Athens. The Gators survived Mississippi State 23-21 a day before firing Billy Napier.
In 2018 (UGA -7), No. 7 Georgia’s 36-17 win over No. 9 Florida gave the Bulldogs their second straight win in the series. The Gators took a 14-13 lead to start the second half with a three-play, 48-yard drive in 1:14. It was capped by a 36-yard TD pass from Feleipe Franks to Freddie Swain with 13:35 left. Georgia responded with a seven-play, 72-yard TD drive capped by a Jake Fromm-to-Jeremiah Holloman 12-yard touchdown completion. That score put Georgia back on top 20-14 with 10:33 left in the 3rd quarter. Then after both teams punted on their next possession, Georgia forced its third turnover and turned it into a field goal and a 23-14 lead with 0:07 left in the 3rd quarter. UGA outscored UF 13-3 in the final quarter of the game.
A year later (UGA -6.5) No. 8 Georgia defeated No. 6 Florida Gators, 24-17 - giving the Dawgs their first three-year win streak against the Gators since 2011-13. The Bulldogs took a 16-3 lead to the fourth quarter - then the Gators came alive. Florida scored twice in the fourth, but UGA’s seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the 4th along with a clock-killing drive was too much for the Gators to overcome.
Kirby’s Dawgs are 5-4 against the spread vs. the Gators in the last nine matchups. Georgia has been favored in each game save Kirby’s first coaching fight with Florida - a 24-10 UF win in 2016. The Bulldogs have won each game since 2021 by at least 14 points.
