Championship Week has ended, so college football bowl season is officially upon us.
With the postseason here, Action Network senior writer Collin Wilson will look to move to 5-0 in his early bet articles after Clemson and SMU cashed the over in the ACC Championship.
Now, it's onto the Gasparilla Bowl, as Wilson looks to back Florida to cover against Tulane when they take the field in Tampa on Dec. 20.
Like all sports, grabbing the best number when lines come out is paramount when it comes to betting college football.
For example, a -6.5 favorite could move to -7.5 on Saturday morning, and you run the risk of that team winning by one of the most likely outcomes — a seven-point victory — and you just lost your bet.
Ideally, that could all be avoided by locking in the best number early in the week. That's going to be the goal for this Saturday night ACC matchup.
Continue reading for college football odds, NCAAF picks and early bets for bowl season.
Florida vs. Tulane Odds
| Florida Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | -330 |
| Tulane Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 50.5 -110o / -110u | +260 |
Two teams headed in opposite directions over the final month of the season will lock up in the Gasparilla Bowl when the Florida Gators take on the Tulane Green Wave.
Tulane ended the season on a dud, losing the regular-season finale to Memphis and the AAC Championship to Army.
Florida opened the season with the toughest projected schedule in the nation and a sinking preseason win total that closed at 4.5. Still, the Gators not only eclipsed their win total but rallied midseason to win three straight against LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State.
Florida head coach Billy Napier was on the hottest of seats after losing to Miami and Texas A&M earlier in the season, but his team rallied to cover six of their final nine games.
A covering effort against Georgia on Nov. 2 took a toll from a health perspective, forcing Florida to play multiple true freshmen with minimal experience against Texas.
However, the return of freshman quarterback DJ Lagway and wide receiver Elijhah Badger gave the offense a much-needed explosive element in mid-November.
This DJ Lagway/Elijhah Badger connection is top notch📈
— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 23, 2024
On the other side, Tulane laid an egg on Thanksgiving night against Memphis after previously winning eight straight games and qualifying for the AAC Championship.
Head coach Jon Sumrall saw his offense fail to generate an explosive drive while committing three turnovers.
In the AAC title game, the freezing temperatures at West Point provided a backdrop for a loss to an Army team that dominated on the ground.
Tulane star running back Makhi Hughes struggled down the stretch, accumulating only 160 rushing yards over the final three games while failing to produce an explosive run.
After a heater of a run at Troy and a single season at Tulane, Sumrall is one of the hottest names in the coaching carousel and could take a new job before the Green Wave arrive in Tampa.
The transfer portal has become one of the biggest factors in handicapping a bowl game, but Florida’s overachieving season turned out to be the best of the Napier era thus far.
The Gators missed a bowl last season but now have a travel-friendly location with minimal portal movement as of writing.
Meanwhile, Tulane has already seen starting quarterback Darian Mensah enter the transfer portal, and the possibility of having an interim coach for the bowl game could cause even more chaos on the roster.
Action Network's projected spread is in line with the current market of -9.5, but if Mensah doesn't play, a wager would be recommended on the Gators through -13.
Pick: Florida -9.5 (Play to -13 if Mensah Doesn't Play)
