The final series of the 2024 regular season starts on Thursday for Florida baseball as it travels to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the schedule’s finale. Not only is this a huge rivalry matchup for the Gators but their postseason plans hang in the balance based on this weekend’s results.
The Orange and Blue are just 26-25 and need to win at least one to match the .500 mark — a true sign of mediocrity. The ‘Dawgs, on the other hand, are peaking at the right time with a 38-12 overall mark and ranked No. 8 by the USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Below is a look at the betting odds and other information one needs to follow Thursday night’s Southeastern Conference matchup.
Georgia is favored by 1.5 runs over Florida according to DraftKings. Here are the full odds as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
| TEAM | SPREAD | OVER/UNDER | MONEY LINE |
| Florida | +1.5 -120 |
O 14 -115 |
+135 |
| Georgia | -1.5 -110 |
U 14 -115 |
-175 |
| TEAM | PLAYER | RECORD | ERA |
| Florida | LHP Pierce Coppola | 0-2 | 7.27 |
| Georgia | RHP Kolten Smith | 8-2 | 4.72 |
Pierce Coppola continues to improve with every start but the next step is letting him go longer in games. He should get to go about 70 pitches this time around after ramping up over the past few weeks. Against Kentucky, he threw 64 pitches and allowed just one unearned run.
Kolten Smith is a starter-reliever hybrid who is ranked third in the conference in strikeouts during SEC play. He features a fastball that runs up to 95 mph which he mixes with a changeup that’s good against batters on both sides of the plate. His slider can sometimes miss, but no one touches it when he lets it go right, according to D1Baseball’s Joe Healy. — David Rosenberg
| OVERALL | 193-115-2 |
| HOME | 102-45-1 |
| ROAD | 86-64-1 |
| NEUTRAL | 5-6 |
Game 1: Florida 9, Georgia 8
There is very little evidence to support a Florida sweep here, but it’s not out of the question if the Gators play to their full potential. Putting it all together is not exactly what the 2024 Florida baseball team does, but it’s never a bad time to kick poor habits. Florida needs two here to stay alive, but three gives the team some momentum heading into Hoover.
Prediction: Florida sweeps and gets stronger with each game. — David Rosenberg
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
Follow us
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Baseball | Gators Wire…