Gameday vs Florida

 

Florida vs. Arkansas odds, line: 2020 college football picks, predictions from expert on 14-2 run

The Florida Gators will attempt to remain the front-runner in the SEC East race Saturday when they host the improving Arkansas Razorbacks in an SEC showdown. The No. 6-ranked Gators (4-1) notched a massive victory last week when they topped fifth-ranked Georgia 44-28. It was their first win over the rival Bulldogs in four years. They will need to be careful to avoid a letdown against the Razorbacks (3-3), who are arguably one of the most improved programs in the country. They won just two games last season and went winless in SEC play but have been consistently competitive this year. They are coming off a 24-13 home victory over Tennessee last week. 

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators are 17-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 60 in the latest Florida vs. Arkansas odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Before making any Arkansas vs. Florida picks, check out the college football predictions from SportsLine's Josh Nagel, given the impressive run he's on picking these teams. 

A Nevada-based handicapper with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel specializes in college sports and has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members. Last year, he went 82-61-1 on his against-the-spread college football picks to give his followers a profit of nearly $2,000. He's currently on a 32-22 run with his selections heading into Week 11.

What's more, he has had a sharp eye for the trajectories of both programs, posting a 14-2 record on picks involving either Arkansas or Florida over the past three seasons. This run of success includes telling SportsLine members to back Florida (+3.5) last week in its annual rivalry game against Georgia. The Gators overcame a slow start to pull away for a decisive victory and give Nagel's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has consistently followed him is way up.

Now, Nagel has studied Florida vs. Arkansas from every angle and has revealed his picks over at SportsLine. Here are the college football odds from William Hill and trends for Arkansas vs. Florida: 

• Florida vs. Arkansas point spread: Florida -17
• Florida vs. Arkansas over-under total points: 60
• Florida vs. Arkansas money line: Florida -800, Arkansas +600
• ARK: The Razorbacks have covered the spread in four consecutive SEC road games.
• UF: The Gators have covered five of the past seven meetings in this series.
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• Why Florida can cover

The Gators can't afford a flat spot as they eye a berth in the SEC title game while facing a five-game stretch against relatively modest competition. In fact, Arkansas' three victories are more than any remaining Florida opponent currently has on its record. Perhaps they will be motivated by avoiding another near-disastrous start after faltering early against Georgia last week. They allowed a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage and trailed 14-0 before 5 minutes had transpired in the first quarter.

The good news is, this gave quarterback Kyle Trask and the powerful offense plenty of time to recover and they did just that, with two long scoring drives to tie the game. Following a pick-six by Trask early in the second quarter, they scored the game's next 27 points to put it out of reach. Trask boosted his Heisman candidacy by finishing 30-of-43 for 474 yards and four touchdowns, while the defense limited Georgia to just seven second-half points.

Why Arkansas can cover

Even so, Florida has its work cut out against an Arkansas club that is both improved and stubborn, as it has shown in hard-fought losses to Auburn and Texas A&M. The Razorbacks also trailed 13-0 at halftime last week against the Volts before an inspired second-half effort led to a double-digit victory.

Many believed Arkansas was headed to a lengthy rebuild when it failed to land a high-profile coach following the dismissal of Chad Morris. The program eventually settled on Sam Pittman, a career assistant who had never been an FBS head coach in his 25 years in the sport.

The 58-year-old Pittman will miss Saturday's game because he tested positive for COVID-19. But his players have vowed to honor their coach with a strong performance in his absence, and top assistant Barry Odom is a former head coach at Missouri. Moreover, quarterback Feleipe Franks is a Florida transfer who has a chance to excel against his former team.