Florida vs. Texas Final Odds and Predictions: Can the bye week save the Gators?

After coming off the bye week, where it felt like Florida did everything it could to try and lose it, the Gators are back in action in The Swamp to take on Texas. This was a highly anticipated matchup prior to the season, but Florida's 1-3 start has sent ticket prices from above $250 to under $80 in some spots.

On paper, there doesn't seem to be much hope for the Gators. But Billy Napier has this way of pulling a rabbit out of his hat every year?

Is today that day?

Florida vs Texas Final Odds

It's almost disconcerting that the spread has fallen and is only 5.5 points in favor of Texas. Mind you Florida had close spreads against LSU and Miami and failed to cover either, but there are reasons why Vegas seems to think Florida has a shot in this one.

Arch Manning has not been the second coming of Tim Tebow, and the Texas offense as a whole has struggled, which opens up the door for Florida to hang around far longer than it did last year in one of the most non-competitive games Florida has played in modern history.

The problem, just like the problem against LSU and Miami, is that Florida's offense has yet to show the faintest sign of life and has just three touchdowns in its last three games.

But every year Billy Napier has found a way to win a game he was left for dead for. Yes, he is 4-16 against ranked opponents, but he is also 6-3 in The Swamp as an underdog.

Napier has pulled out wins over Utah (2022), Tennessee (2023), LSU (2024), and Ole Miss (2024) in games where it felt like Florida had no business winning.

We are not expecting an offensive explosion, but if somehow Florida has spent the last two weeks working on a scripted opening drive, the defense can create turnovers, and Vernell Brown III can return a punt for a touchdown, it would be appropriate for Napier to somehow pull this one off.

Or he gets blown out by 30 and gets fired.

Either way, everyone is a winner.