The Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators open their 2024 NCAA football seasons Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Miami vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
The Hurricanes hit the road to battle the in-state rival Gators. Miami has one of the top transfer portal additions with QB Cam Ward joining the Canes, while the team also added RB Damien Martinez from Oregon State. Casual fans might not be too excited by those moves, but they might be the 2 most important additions in the ACC.
Defensively, the Canes really struggled last season in the secondary, and that’s the biggest question heading into 2024. The front 7 will certainly be stout, and a late addition of Simeon Barrow from Michigan State bolsters the defensive line further.
The Gators won just 5 games last season, and obviously missed a bowl game. Coach Billy Napier heads into the season with a lot of pressure. QB Graham Mertz was surprisingly effective in 2023, and he should jell nicely with WR Eugene Wilson III for big things. RB Montrell Johnson is back to lead the run game.