Florida A Historical Underdog Against Georgia

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party got a little extra kick added to the horseradish this weekend.

On the lookahead line before last Saturday's games, the Gators were 15.5-point underdogs against Georgia. By the time Saturday and Sunday came, Florida was all the way up to its current spread of +22.5.

If the Gators close above a 20-point underdog, it will be their fourth-highest spread as an underdog over the last 50 years.

Biggest Florida Underdog Spreads Over the Last 50 Years:

+28.5 vs. Florida State (2013, Lost, 37-7)
+24.5 vs. Alabama (1978, Lost, 23-12)
+24 vs. Alabama (2016, Lost, 54-16)
+22.5 vs. Georgia (2022)*
+20 vs. Florida State (1979, Lost, 27-16)

Over the last 50 years, Florida has been listed above a two-touchdown underdog (more than 14 points) a total of sixteen times. The Gators are 0-16 straight up in those games. Florida's biggest recent upset came in 2016 as a 14-point underdog against LSU.

When looking specifically at the Florida-Georgia rivalry, this weeks point spread is the biggest in the series since 1996.

Florida-Georgia Betting Markets

Maybe as a surprise to some, Florida is currently receiving 62% of the bets but just 49% of the handle this weekend against Georgia, according to Action Network data.

Since 2020, Georgia has played just four games with 40% of tickets or fewer and the Bulldogs are 4-0 straight up and against the spread, covering the spread by a whopping 13.5 PPG.

A Florida upset would be historic in its own right, but it would also break Georgia's current streak of wins as a double-digit favorite: