Florida Atlantic Owls vs Florida Gators Prediction, 9/5/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Florida Atlantic Owls vs Florida Gators

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Gators (-27.5)

Total/Over-Under: 58.5

The Florida Atlantic Owls (4-8 last season) are hitting the road to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026 where they will meet the Florida Gators (4-8 last year). Florida opens as 27.5-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The betting total is set at 58.5.

The Florida Atlantic Owls finished the season with a 4-8 record. In their last contest, the Owls faced the East Carolina Pirates and went home with a loss by a final score of 42-3. At the end of the game, they tallied 73 plays which gave them a total of 338 yards. The Florida Atlantic Owls ran the ball 22 different times and amassed 39 yds, which earned them an average of 1.8 yards per tote. Against the rush, the Owls conceded 254 yards on 56 attempts, which averages out to 4.5 yds per run allowed. Florida Atlantic surrendered 20 pass completions on 30 attempts for 258 yards, and a completion rate of 66.7%.

In terms of scoring, the Florida Atlantic Owls had an average of 29.5 points per game. Offensively they had an average of 104.5 yards on the ground, which ranked them 123rd in D-1. The Owls racked up 5,336 total yards over the course of last season. Florida Atlantic earned 28 touchdowns through the air and 13 touchdowns via the ground. Florida Atlantic amassed 296 1st downs, and they were hurt by 79 penalties for 672 yds. They turned the ball over 29 different times.

Regarding passing yardage, the Owls gave up 2,822 yds which ranked them 73rd in college football. In their 12 games, they allowed 235.2 yards per game via the pass as well as allowing a completion percentage of 64.3%. They conceded 436.5 yards/contest putting them 130th in the nation. They yielded 20 touchdowns through the air in addition to 35 touchdowns on the ground. The opposition ran for an average of 4.8 yards per attempt on the ground and 201.3 yards on the ground per contest over the course of last season. For the season, they allowed 2,416 running yards through 12 games. The Owls were sitting in 131st in Division 1 when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 36.3 points per contest.

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The Gators ended the year holding a 4-8 record. In their last game, the Gators got the win with a final of 40-21 against the Florida State Seminoles. Florida conceded 37 run attempts for 167 yds (4.5 yards per rush). The Gators passing defense conceded a completion percentage of 60.7%, relinquishing 240 yards on 17 for 28 passing. The Gators finished the game with a total of 440 yds while running 69 plays (6.4 yds per play). Florida ran the ball for 6.0 yds per attempt, finishing with 272 yards on 45 attempts.

The Florida Gators maintained an average of 341.3 yards per contest, which was good for 104th in college football. The Florida offense racked up 524 yards of penalties on 61 infractions, which ranked 113th in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They held an average of 136.8 run yards per game and toted the ball for 1,642 yards for the year. They tossed 14 interceptions while surrendering 4 fumbles and they tallied 227 first downs. When it comes to the points being put on the board, the Gators ranked 111th in the country with 21.6 PPG. Last year, the Gators earned 2,455 yards through the air as well as an average of 204.6 throwing yards per contest, which had them ranked 93rd in the country.

The Gators gave up 24.0 PPG, which had them ranked 60th in college football. Florida allowed the opposition a total of 1,847 yards via the ground game (153.9 yards per outing) in addition to 22 touchdowns by way of the ground game last year. They gave up 13 touchdowns through the air and 222.9 yards per outing, ranking them 76th in college football. The Gators defense was on the field for 798 plays, which had them ranked 35th in the country. They totaled 7 fumbles and 10 interceptions for the previous season. Overall, they relinquished 288 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Owls/Gators college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Gators -27.5

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