Kentucky football game Saturday: Kentucky vs. Florida odds and prediction for Week 2 game

Week No. 2 and the Kentucky football team look to move to 2-0 but they will have to slug it out in a wet and humid Swamp battle with Florida as both ranked teams are the marque matchup this weekend jockeying for the contender spot in the Southeastern Conference East.

No. 12 Florida hosts No. 20 Kentucky at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. All eyes from the SEC, NCAA, and pro scouts will be focused here as quarterbacks Will Levis for Kentucky and Anthony Richardson or Florida set up for an epic battle.

Which of these two are more clutch and successful in guiding their respective team from the flashy Richardson to the poised, steely-eyed bring-it attitude-carrying Levis looking to exploit the Gator secondary?

He will have to as Kentucky football will be without Chris Rodriguez we still assume pending some NCAA decision. Although they cleared Jordan Write off suspension yesterday which was great news for the UK secondary. They are also with Ramone Jefferson lost for the season with an ACL tear and JuThan McClain is a game-time decision.

You have to believe that if McClain can play he will be out on the field.

Can Kentucky’s Big Blue Wall offensive line protect Levis to throw to any one of a dozen receivers including big playmaker Tayvion Robinson?

Levis just needs to masterfully run the offense and spread the ball around to the dozen receivers he has to choose from.

Kentucky special teams will need to be special once again just like Barion Brown’s 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a 37-13 win last week.

The Wildcat defense can more than hold its own and is very experienced so we don’t doubt their play here and they can contend with the dink and dunk passing of the Gators. It will however take and team effort to slow Richardson down who will try and do it all himself.

Coach Mark Stoops simply broke it down like this:

"“There are certainly some things we all felt, coming out of the game, that need to be looked at, need to be addressed and we need to improve. And that is, being physical, being able to run the football and being able to protect the quarterback.”"

Look for this battle to come down to having the ball late in the game. Last week, Florida’s defense ended a game-winning drive with a pick in the endzone to upset Utah.

This week this game feels like the final points will come in the closing minute.

Oh and for Kentucky’s sake don’t forget that Mark Stoops winning would make him solely the winningest coach all-time in Kentucky football history surpassing Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Kentucky vs Florida Odds Week 2

Spread: Florida -5.5
Over/under: 52.5
Moneyline: Florida -225, Kentucky  +184

Using FanDuel’s odds above the game opened at 4.5 and has pretty well stuck only moving slightly more in Florida’s favor. Curious to see if Kentucky was 1-0 and Florida 0-1 coming in would the line have been reversed?

This game will come to do cashing in on trips into the Red-zone. Kentucky scored on 5 of 6 of its trips (three touchdown passes, and two field goals) in the red zone against Miami. Utah’s demise against the Gators last week was failing to convert any points in two trips. Kentucky can ill afford for that to happen.  In turn, Florida was a perfect 3 of 3 with touchdowns to the red zone, with two coming from Richardson on short runs.

The winner may need to rely on a field goal as well and Kentucky’s Matt Ruffolo has been through many of these before.

Kentucky vs Florida Prediction Week 2

This Kentucky football squad comes in this game with many not giving Kentucky a chance to win without Rodriguez.

Granted the NCAA could rule at any moment and C-Rod would throw on his shoulder pads, and helmet and run onto the field even if it was a last-minute decision.

Now that would be something to see and talk about a jolt to the Florida game planning.

Rodriguez has not gotten to play in the Swamp for this career sadly as he didn’t travel his freshman season and got Covid as a junior.

But that’s out of our hands.

Right now we play the cards in our hands. Will Levis is more than capable and confident in leading this talented offense that is a lot deeper than analysts and pundits are forgetting.

The defense is solid, deep, and experienced, especially with Wright back. If they can swing a takeaway somewhere that could be the deciding factor.

You feel like this will be a duel to the bitter end where anything can happen and don’t count out some overtime.

I’ll take Kentucky for the win 28-27