Gasparilla Bowl Preview: Florida Gators vs. Tulane Green Wave – Friday, Dec. 20, 2024

The Tulane Green Wave (9-4) and Florida Gators (7-5) will have an outstanding competition when they face off in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, December 20 at 3:30 PM ET. This college football betting opportunity will be at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, as the Gators are favored with a point spread at -13.5 (-105).

Tulane Green Wave Betting Preview

The Green Wave have allowed 34.5 points a game in their last two battles, which have resulted in losses. Their latest loss was a 35-14 performance against the Army Black Knights in the American Athletic Championship.

They were down 21-7 at the half and could not recover. Darian Mensah had a solid game with 17 of 25 completions for 209 yards for two touchdowns, but had one interception. Mario Williams had six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.

The Green Wave had similar numbers as the Black Knights in yards and first downs, but the Green Wave did commit two turnovers and were unable to force any on their opponent. They also had possession of the ball much less than the Black Knights at a lot more than 25 minutes.

Their offense ranks ninth in the nation for averaging 37.2 points a game. Defensively they rank 17th in allowing their opposition to get 19.7 points a game. This is an excellent spread, but they must play excellent defense against a tough Gators team.

Florida Gators Betting Preview

The Gators have won their last three games by at least seven points or more. One of those was an impressive 24-17 outing over the previously ninth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Their latest win was a 31-11 performance over the Florida State Seminoles.

This game steadily improved out of reach for the Seminoles to recover, as the Gators eventually poured on 14 points in the fourth quarter. DJ Lagway completed 14 of his 22 passes for 133 yards, two touchdowns, but had an interception.

The Gators put up 368 yards and 18 first downs, but did have that one turnover from Lagway. However, their defense suffocated the Seminoles and held them to 239 yards and five turnovers.

Offensively the Gators rank 68th in scoring 27.9 points a game. Their defense has been choppy at times, but they have allowed 24.3 points a game from opponents that ranks 64th.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie showcases the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl odds, currently favoring the Gators by 13.5-points. According to market analysis, the Gators have a 54.2 percent chance of winning outright.

The Green Wave’s strength of schedule ranks 80th, while the Gators are at sixth. This shows they have impressive stats, but they did it against weaker teams consistently instead of the intense schedule that the Gators had.

Final Pick: Florida Gators -13.5 (-105)

Note: This pick and article has been written by one of our Spooky Express writers. This is NOT the legendary “Spooky Express Bowling for Dollars Picks”. Those picks can be found in the link posted above, normally on the day of the bowl game. Leverage the knowledge of seasoned pro “Spooky” and elevate your sports betting experience to a new level!