The Florida Gators take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Check out our college football odds series for our Florida Texas A&M prediction and pick.
Florida fans have to be tearing their hair out for one obvious reason: Quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to show what he is capable of becoming as a football player, but only in short bursts and not in consistent, sustained segments. Richardson did not play well in the first half of Florida’s loss to Georgia last week, but he then became a brilliant quarterback in the third quarter, leading a comeback bid which fell short against the defending national champion Bulldogs. Richardson has shown this year – against Utah, against Tennessee, and in the third quarter against Georgia, among other occasions – that he can be a lethal and devastating offensive weapon for first-year head coach Billy Napier. Yet, for all the moments when he plays well, Richardson will have an equal if not greater amount of moments in which he doesn’t make good throws and looks like a shaken quarterback whose grasp of the game is unsteady and uncertain. Getting Richardson to be a consistent performer is Napier’s big task. That is the gateway to greater success for the Gators in this month of November and in the coming 2023 campaign.
The Texas A&M Aggies might not even make a bowl game this season. While it is true that A&M has been once again pounded by terrible injury luck at the quarterback spot – the second consecutive season this has happened – a program with A&M’s aspirations and resources should not be caught shorthanded in terms of having a capable No. 2 quarterback. Max Johnson was the QB1 earlier this season. He got hurt. Haynes King, who replaced him, was not especially good. King got hurt, and now true freshman Conner Weigman is leading the offense. He did as well as one could reasonably expect in last week’s game against Ole Miss, but he obviously is still green and needs more reps to feel comfortable and become the quarterback the Aggies hope he will become. The good news about Weigman’s rise to the QB1 position this year is that his experiences under center should help him grasp coach Jimbo Fisher’s offense more quickly, enabling him to have an on-ramp to 2023 which could set him up for a highly productive sophomore season.
In the short term, however, Weigman is undergoing a trial by fire, as are the other freshmen Aggies in a recruiting class which was ranked No. 1 in the country. The Aggie program has invested so much money into football success – starting with Fisher, but continuing in the NIL space – that a few injuries should not lead to a sub-.500 record. The Aggies should be able to beat South Carolina and Appalachian State and Mississippi State even if they aren’t at full strength. Other components of the roster have simply not been good enough to compensate for injuries. If A&M loses this game to Florida, the Aggies – with LSU still left on the slate – would be likely to miss a bowl game for 2022, a total disaster for Fisher and his program.
Here are the Florida-Texas A&M NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Florida-Texas A&M Odds
Florida Gators: +3 (-110)
Texas A&M Aggies: -3 (-110)
Over: 54.5 (-110)
Under: 54.5 (-110)
Why Florida Could Cover the Spread
If the good version of Anthony Richardson shows up, the Gators win. It’s really that simple. As long as he can outplay Conner Weigman, Richardson should be able to lift the Gators to victory on the road.
Why Texas A&M Could Cover the Spread
If Anthony Richardson plays poorly, A&M will get the defensive takeaways and the short fields for the offense which it will probably need to win this game. Given how unreliable Richardson is, the Aggies have to like their chances.
Final Florida-Texas A&M Prediction & Pick
This game comes down to Anthony Richardson, in case you haven’t noticed. Do you trust him? Should you trust him? It’s really hard to say “yes.” Go with A&M if you insist on making a play here, but the best choice is to stay away from this one.
Final Florida-Texas A&M Prediction & Pick: Texas A&M -3
Follow Us
Subscribe