The UCF Knights and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets clash Friday in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl after six-win campaigns in the regular season, and we have you covered with our Georgia Tech vs. UCF prediction for the Gasparilla Bowl based on the best college football odds at the best college football betting sites.
In a matchup between Georgia Tech and UCF at the Gasparilla Bowl, both teams enter after a lukewarm regular-season performance, each securing six wins to qualify for the game. While their seasons lacked standout moments, their qualification for the bowl indicates a level of competitiveness that earned them a spot at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Despite their average season showings, the stage is set for an intriguing showdown, given the anticipation surrounding the high betting totals associated with this particular game.
The spotlight shines brightly on this lone Friday night college football game, drawing attention for its potential to deliver an explosive and high-scoring affair. Despite the teams’ unremarkable regular-season performances, the anticipation for an exciting spectacle looms large. Fans and bettors alike are eagerly awaiting to see if Georgia Tech and UCF will elevate and produce the anticipated fireworks that could make this matchup a memorable one in the bowl season.
As part of our look at all college bowl game odds, here is our best Georgia Tech vs. UCF prediction and our college football picks for Friday’s Gasparilla Bowl (odds via our best college football betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Georgia Tech vs. UCF prediction: Gasparilla Bowl
UCF -4.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In a matchup between middling 6-6 teams, the clear draw is the two offenses in a game featuring one of the highest betting totals of bowl season. And it should be worth the price of admission.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King has emerged as one of college football’s breakout stars in the first fully healthy season of his career. The redshirt sophomore was one of just two players with at least 2,700 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, 600 rushing yards, and five rushing TDs in the 2023 regular season. The other was LSU QB Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy.
On the other side, UCF’s offense has been humming behind QB John Rhys Plumlee, who has battled a lingering knee injury all season and should enjoy the nearly month-long break before this one. The Knights averaged 30 points in the six games he finished since returning from injury, scoring at least 24 points in all of them.
The main thing I’ll be watching, though, is UCF’s run game against Georgia Tech’s defense. And that matchup should ultimately decide this game.
Even with injuries under center, the Knights rank seventh in total offense (492.2 YPG) behind an elite rushing attack, which ranks fourth in yards per game (233.2) and fifth in yards per carry (5.7). The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, sit in the bottom five in both metrics and rank 122nd in opponent EPA per play – and that was before losing multiple players to the transfer portal.
That mismatch alone is reason enough to bet the Over, either on the full-game total (66.5) or UCF’s team total (37.5). That said, both teams could lean heavily on the ground game, which would reduce the total number of offensive plays we can expect in this game. That’s a scary proposition with a total flirting with 70.
Instead, I’m laying the modest price in a de facto home game for the Knights, whose campus is a mere two hours away. UCF’s offense should have its way with Georgia Tech’s soft front and dictate the terms of Friday’s tilt.
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Georgia Tech vs. UCF best odds
BetMGM (-110)
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCF -5 | UCF -4.5 | UCF -4.5 | UCF -4.5 | UCF -4.5 |
| -108 | -115 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
For this point spread bet on UCF, three of our best sports betting sites are dealing the same -4.5 line at -110 odds. Our choice among them is BetMGM, but that’s entirely a personal preference, as Caesars and bet365 are offering identical odds.
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Georgia Tech vs. UCF odds
Georgia Tech vs. UCF odds analysis
UCF briefly opened as a 6.5-point favorite, but the line moved to -4.5 at the majority of our best sportsbooks. That said, Georgia Tech backers can still grab +5 via DraftKings at manageable -112 odds.
The total opened at 61.5 and is sitting anywhere from 66.5 to 67.5 across our best sports betting apps. As usual, it pays to shop around.
Gasparilla Bowl game info
- When: Friday, Dec. 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
- How to watch: ESPN
- Weather: 64 degrees, 6-mph winds, 0% chance of precipitation
Georgia Tech-UCF prediction made Tuesday at 10:15 p.m. ET.
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