Another week, another interim coach taking over the reins at a Power 4 program.
This Saturday, we’ll see Billy Gonzales, who took over for Billy Napier, lead the Florida Gators out of the tunnel against the Georgia Bulldogs in the latest iteration of “ The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”
The Gators have been a wreck for most of this season, but they have a high ceiling when things click. Just ask Texas.
Georgia has taken care of business for the most part this season, but the Bulldogs have looked vulnerable on a couple of occasions, escaping with close wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss.
This is not David vs. Goliath.
We’ve seen several teams (UCLA, UAB, Arkansas, and Penn State) respond to the firing of their head coach with a gutsy effort, and we’ll back the Gators to do the same in front of a raucous crowd Saturday.
The Pick: Florida +7 (-105, DraftKings)
CAL +4.5 (-102, BetMGM) over Virginia
The ACC always had the potential to go off the rails if Clemson wasn’t as good as everybody thought, but nobody saw Virginia coming.
The Cavaliers are a wonderful story, winning seven of their first eight games and notching victories over Florida State, Louisville and Bill Belichick along the way.
The Cavs now head to Berkeley as the No. 15 team in the country, and with a very real chance of making it to the College Football Playoff.
Betting on College Football?
The entire college football world has nothing but warm and fuzzies for the Wahoos.
As often happens when stories like this emerge, that love has seeped into the betting market.
Virginia’s last four wins came by one score, and three of them went to overtime. A win’s a win, but when you’re barely beating Washington State and UNC, you probably shouldn’t be 4.5-point favorites traveling across the country to take on a high-ceiling Cal team with a talismanic freshman at quarterback.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and the Bears get the upset in this one.
ARKANSAS -4.5 (-110, BetMGM) over Mississippi State
I’ve got nothing but love for the 2025 Mississippi State Bulldogs. This is a gutsy team, and head coach Jeff Lebby should be getting more praise for the job he’s done in two years in StarkVegas.
I just worry that the Bulldogs are spent.
Mississippi State blew a 38-21 fourth-quarter lead against Texas last week, and they fell just short to Florida seven days earlier.
They’re going to leave it all out there, but at this point in the season roster depth comes into play, and the Bulldogs just may not have enough left in the tank to keep up with the Hogs on Saturday.
Arkansas is much better than its 2-6 record indicates, and was a hard-luck loser to Ole Miss, Tennessee, Memphis and Texas A&M.
It’ll be a cathartic afternoon at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
LAST WEEK: 1-2. BYU (W), Baylor (L), Toledo (L).
SEASON: 19-8.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
