UCF Knights vs Florida Gators Prediction, 12/23/2021 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UCF Knights vs Florida Gators

Date: Thursday, December 23, 2021

Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Gators (-7.5)

Total/Over-Under: 57

The UCF Knights (8-4) are hitting the road to Raymond James Stadium on Thursday where they will play the Florida Gators (6-6) in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. UCF is 7.5-point underdogs. The total comes in at 57.

The UCF Knights step onto the field holding a record of 8-4 for this year. In their last game, the Knights played against the USF Bulls and notched a win by a score of 17-13. Mikey Keene went 14/26 with 115 yards through the air and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rate of 103.7 and ended the contest without throwing a pick. Mark-Antony Richards was the rushing leader for the Knights with 14 totes for 73 yds (5.2 yards per carry). In the game, they tallied 54 plays which gave them a total of 285 yds. The UCF Knights ended up rushing 27 times and totaled 173 yards, earning them an average of 6.4 yards per attempt. Against the rush, the Knights conceded 90 yards on 44 attempts, which averages out to 2.0 yds per run allowed. UCF surrendered 18 completions on 30 tries for 222 yds, and a completion percentage of 60.0%.

The Knights have attained 4,807 yards in total over the course of this season. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, UCF has earned 28 touchdowns through the air and 25 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the ball over 14 times. UCF has accounted for 240 1st downs as an offense, and they have been called for 76 penalties for 644 yds. As a unit they're averaging 189.3 yards on the ground ranking this team at 36th in D-1. When talking about getting in the endzone, the UCF Knights hold an average of 32.2 points per outing.

The Knights sit in 55th in college football in terms of team defense, conceding 25.2 PPG. They are allowing 4.2 yards per rush on the ground and 156.0 rushing yards per game for the year. Overall, they have allowed 1,872 yards on the ground through 12 outings. Concerning passing yards, the Knights are allowing 2,560 yards which has them ranked 40th in the country. They are giving up 213.3 yards per game via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 59.5%. Over the course of this year, they are allowing 369.3 yards per game putting them at 54th in Division 1. They have yielded 12 touchdowns through the air and 22 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Gators step onto the field holding a record of 6-6 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Gators walked away with a victory by a final of 24-21 when they played the Florida State Seminoles. Dameon Pierce carried the ball 12 times for 62 yards, finishing the contest with 5.2 yards per carry for Florida. Emory Jones (1 TD) ended the game with 163 yards on 16/24 through the air while his quarterback rating was 112.5. He tossed 3 picks and his average yards per attempt was 6.8. Florida surrendered 33 rush attempts for 145 yards (4.4 yards per rush). The Gators pass defense conceded a completion rate of 60.6%, surrendering 203 yds on 20 for 33 passing. The Gators finished the game with a total of 372 yds on 74 plays (5.0 yds per play). Florida ran for 3.6 yards per tote, finishing the contest with 154 yards on 43 attempts.

When looking at how much they score, the Gators currently sit 41st in college football averaging 31.8 PPG. During the season thus far, the Gators have a total of 3,132 yards via the pass in addition to holding an average of 261.0 throwing yards per contest, ranking them 39th in Division 1. The Florida Gators hold an average of 471.4 yards per contest, which has them ranked 10th in D-1. The Florida offense has totaled 838 penalty yds on 97 violations, which is good for 10th in college football in terms of helping out the other team.

Florida has yielded a total of 1,843 yards rushing (153.6 yards per game) as well as 16 touchdowns rushing so far this season. They have conceded 17 touchdowns through the air in addition to 208.6 yards/outing, which puts them in 36th in the country. The Gators defense has been on the field for 798 plays, which ranks them 39th in the country. The Gators are giving up 26.6 PPG, ranking them 73rd in Division 1. In total, they have conceded 319 total points.

Who will win tonight's Knights/Gators college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Knights +7.5

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