Florida vs Miami: Early point spread released as Gators take on the Hurricanes

Florida and Miami, two Sunshine State rivals, will compete in Week 1 on Saturday in Gainesville, and the early point spread has been released. Although the teams don't play every year, there's no denying the rivalry between the two.

Which team will win is up in the air, but the sportsbooks are favoring Miami early on.

What is the point spread for Florida vs. Miami?

While unranked Florida will be the home team and is not a team Miami can take lightly, the Hurricanes enter the game ranked No. 19.

Major sportsbooks have released the early point spread and other betting options. FanDuel and BetMGM both have Miami as a 2.5-point favorite to win. Miami, at a minus-2.5 point spread, is given -120 odds. Conversely, Florida, at a plus-2.5 point spread, receives even odds.

Fans who prefer to wager solely on the game's outcome can bet the money line. Miami gives players -140 odds, whereas wagers on Florida receive +120 odds. Bettors interested in betting the over/under will find it set at 53.5 points. Betting the over receives -115 odds, whereas betting the under receives -105 odds.

Why is Miami favored to beat Florida in Week 1?

Entering the season, Miami is projected to be a stronger team than Florida, which might be confusing to some. After all, both have second-year coaches who have not found much success. Florida went 6-7 and 5-7 in the past two years while competing in the Southeastern Conference, and Atlantic Coast Conference member Miami didn't do much better, going 5-7 and 7-6.

So, while Miami appears to have done moderately better, there doesn't appear to be much separating the two teams. However, the Hurricanes were more successful in the offseason than their in-state rivals.

The Hurricanes added quarterback Cameron Ward and tailback Damien Martinez via the transfer portal. Both should be big upgrades to Miami's offense. Florida didn't make many significant additions and has a similar team on paper to what they competed with last season. As a result, sportsbooks, fans and experts all generally favor Miami over Florida.