Dec. 23 College Football Betting Preview: UCF, Florida Battle For In-State Bragging Rights

Here’s a quick college football bowl game betting preview for Thursday, Dec. 23:

Frisco Football Classic (3:30 p.m. ET): North Texas vs. (-2.5) Miami (Ohio), 55

One storyline to watch: …
There’s really not much to sink your teeth into with this one, quite honestly. It’s a late-added bowl game that will basically replace the San Francisco Bowl which was canceled in September. That it features two 6-6 teams and is played in the same stadium as the already played “Frisco Bowl” took place, it’s hard to drum up much excitement for anyone who didn’t attend these fine establishments — or aren’t betting on the game.

One trend to know: North Texas covered each game in its five-game winning streak to end the regular season

Pick: North Texas +2.5
The Mean Green had a horrendous start to the season and rallied down the stretch to get bowl-eligible. So, maybe that’s worth something. This is practically a home game for them, too, which could also be worth something. Maybe. It’s not a great game, and neither team is very good. So we’ll just take the points with the hotter team.

Gasparilla Bowl (7 p.m.): UCF vs. (-7) Florida, 55.5

One storyline to watch: Battle of the Sunshine State
There are some legitimate bragging rights at stake here, and it likely means more to UCF from that regard. The Knights are a few years removed from a stretch in which they played in the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl in consecutive seasons, winning 24 of 25 games. That earned them national notoriety, sure, but there’s still a pecking order in Florida, one in which UCF usually falls behind the likes of Miami, Florida State and Florida. Knocking off the Gators, despite UF’s recent issues, would be a huge win for the program. That said, there’s no void of motivation for the Gators, who should want to put on a show for new coach Billy Napier. The former Louisiana coach won’t be on the sidelines for the bowl game, but returning players will want to make a good first impression.

One trend to know: Florida is 0-5 against the spread in its last five non-conference games (VSiN)

Pick: UCF +7
Underdogs are going to start cashing at some point … right? This isn’t the same UCF team that has been able to raise hell against Power 5 conferences in past bowl games, but Florida isn’t “Florida,” at least not this season. The Gators are also dealing with some key opt-outs on defense, which UCF should be able to expose with its rushing attack. Seven feels like too many despite the talent gap.