2021 Gasparilla Bowl Betting

On December 5, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida were named as the combatants in the 2021 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. The game will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, and kickoff time is 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 23rd.

Florida fired coach Dan Mullen before the final regular-season game, and former Louisiana head honcho and South Carolina QB coach Billy Napier was named as his replacement. However, assistant Greg Knox was handed the reins for the last game, and he will also call the shots in Tampa.

Accomplished head coach Gus Malzahn will prowl the sidelines for the UCF Knights. Despite their lackluster 6-6 record, the Gators are expected to best Malzahn’s Knights.

Prior to the 2021 NCAAF season, Florida was ranked number 13 in the country after posting an 8-4 record in 2020, and UCF was unranked. The Gators were a huge disappointment, and they barely eked out the six wins that are needed to become bowl eligible. UCF was 8-4 playing a weaker schedule.

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The Gators’ season was an unmitigated disaster. They played an undefeated Alabama team in the SEC Conference Championship Game in 2020, and they nearly pulled off a huge upset. They lost that game 52-46, and they had high hopes going into this campaign.

Dan Mullen had been the Florida head coach since 2018, so he recruited most of the players on this team. A late season coaching change after a disappointing year is tough for young people to handle, so it is hard to gauge the mindset of the team going into this Gasparilla bowl game.

Gators junior quarterback Emory Jones has been somewhat of a bright spot. He threw for over 2500 yards with 19 touchdowns, but he was picked off 13 times. Jones was also the leading rusher with 697 yards and four TDs, and Anthony Richardson is his backup QB.

On the other side of the ball, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate was the leading tackler, and safety Rashad Torrence II was right behind him. Torrence led the team with three interceptions, but they had just nine picks over the entire season, so this is another weakness.

This is a team that was expecting to be in the mix for a CFP National Championship, and they find themselves playing for an interim coach in one of the minor bowls. That is not a favorable setup, but most UCF players were not good enough to be recruited by Florida.

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Malzahn was the head coach at Auburn from 2013 to 2020, and his teams were 68-35 overall and 39-27 in SEC games. Most people would say that the Southeastern Conference stands alone atop the Power 5 hierarchy, and he took his 2013 team to the BCS National Championship Game.

They came up short against Florida State by a score of 34-31, and they finished the season ranked number 2 in the country. Auburn was unranked in three of the next six years, and their best finish was a number 10 ranking after the 2017 season. Malzahn’s bowl record with the Tigers was 2-5.

Dillon Gabriel was penciled in as the starting quarterback after two spectacular seasons. In 2020, he threw for over 3500 yards with 32 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He fractured his clavicle during the third game of the season against Louisville, and he hasn’t been on the field since then.

The marriage between Gabriel and UCF has come to an end because he has entered the transfer portal. He was replaced by freshman Mikey Keene, who completed 63.6 percent of his passes with 16 TD passes and six interceptions.

Wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe had a big year with 727 yards on 77 catches and six touchdowns. His fellow receiver Brandon Johnson caught just 38 passes, but he scored 11 touchdowns. Running back Johnny Richardson averaged almost seven yards a carry splitting time with Isaiah Bowser.

The UCF Knights are underdogs and rightfully so considering the level of football that is played in the SEC versus the AAC. Florida actually played a soft schedule considering the conference, but it was ranked as the 58th toughest schedule, and the UCF schedule was 86th.

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Sportsbooks want to stock the shelves with merchandise as it were. All of the best US sports betting sites that we would recommend had posted the betting lines on this game shortly after the matchups were announced.

There is no way to steer everyone toward the “best Gasparilla Bowl odds” because it depends on the side or total that you want to support. However, one thing is for sure: the Gators are favored to beat South Florida at every sportsbook.

Gasparilla Bowl Moneyline Odds

A moneyline bet is a wager on the team that is going to win the game, regardless of the score. Favorites have a negative money return, and this means that it will be less than even money. If you win a moneyline bet on the underdog, you will get more than even money.

The best odds that we are seeing on Florida right now are at land-based casinos in Las Vegas. However, when it comes to online betting, WynnBET Sportsbook has the most favorable odds at -240.

If you like the other side, you can get +220 at Caesars Sportsbook. These are the odds at the moment that this is being written, but they are subject to change at any time.

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Gasparilla Bowl Point Spread Odds

When you place a point spread bet on a favorite, your team has to win by a certain number of points. That number is the spread, and underdog supporters get the same number of extra points added to their total.

The point spread on this game is Florida -6.5 at most of the betting sites, but the number is 7 at Barstool Sportsbook. This is the place to wager if you want to take points on the Knights.

Gasparilla Bowl Over/Under Odds

The total for the game is between 55 and 56 depending on the book, and most of them have hung a 55.5 total. There are odds attached to the total that can fluctuate, but most of them are -110 on both possibilities.

Eight out of 12 UCF games have eclipsed the total, and seven of the 12 Florida Gators games have gone under, so there is no clear insight there. However, the under is 8-1-1 in the last 10 Knights games against SEC teams. The SEC squads bring a level of defensive talent that you simply do not see in the American Athletic Conference.

Gasparilla Bowl Prop Bets

Proposition wagers are side bets about some aspect of the game beyond the standard outcome. We are not seeing any player proposition bets just yet, but they may be posted closer to game time. There are team propositions like special point spreads and totals.

Barstool Sportsbook has a very cool “move the line” slider feature. You can take an alternative point spread of your choosing, and the odds will be adjusted accordingly. For example, if you think Florida is going to blow out UCF by more than 16 points, you get +225.

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Who won the most Gasparilla Bowls?

As you see from the table in the last section that covers every year that this game has been played, Marshall has won three Gasparilla Bowl titles. This puts them at the top for wins, and they lost this game in 2019. The University of Central Florida has also appeared four times, and they won twice.

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Consider the Motivation Factor

Determine which team is more highly motivated and take this into consideration. Do the Gators have more talent than UCF? The answer is yes, but they were aiming for one of the better bowl games with a different coach, and this can impact their focus.

Don’t Be Greedy

A lot of people are penny wise and pound foolish when it comes to sports betting. They want to make a lot of money without taking a significant risk. This leads them to parlay betting, and short of this, they will never consider betting on the moneyline.

If you handicap the game and you think that the Gators are probably going to win, but you are not sure about the margin of victory, bet them on the moneyline. You have to dig a little bit deeper into your pocket but may be glad that you did in the end.

Value Historical Trends

We touched upon the fact that the UCF offense has sputtered against SEC competition. This is one historical trend, and the Gators or 0-6 in their last six games against the spread. They are 0-5 ATS in the last five contests following an ATS loss, and they have the same record in the last five games as favorites.

Shop for Betting Lines

You never know which sportsbook is going to have the best lines for the bet that you want to make. If you open an account at multiple sites, you get more than one sign up bonus, and you can shop around for the most favorable lines.