Gator Bowl Point Spread: Kentucky is an Underdog vs. Clemson
The college football postseason is set. Bowl season arrives in just a couple of weeks as 41 teams prepare for one final contest on the gridiron to complete the 2023 season. The KSR crew will be handicapping almost every single one of those games, especially the one in in Jacksonville. Kentucky will play Clemson in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Dec. 29. Vegas is giving the team from the ACC the early edge.
Our good friends at the FanDuel Sportsbook were the first to share odds as bowl matchups were released. The opening line for the Gator Bowl is Clemson -7 vs. Kentucky with a total of 47.5. Kentucky was 1-4 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog this fall, but the one cover was an outright win in the season finale over Louisville.
No matter what happens in Jacksonville, this will be Clemson’s first single-digit win season since 2010, Dabo Swinney’s second season. The Tigers enter the game 8-4, 4-4 in ACC play. They are 6-6 (ATS) in 2023 and the under has hit in seven of 12 games.
Just like Clemson, Vegas has been right on the money when making lines this fall. Mark Stoops’ seven-win Wildcats are also 6-6 ATS this fall. The Kentucky offense has performed below expectations for the most of the season, which is why you’ll be surprised to see that over bettors have cashed tickets in eight of twelve games.
Kentucky is playing in its eighth-straight bowl game, a school record for postseason appearances. The Cats are 4-3 during this stretch under Stoops.
Clemson is appearing in its 19th straight bowl game. Dabo was there for all but three of them, including a 2009 victory over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. Swinney is 11-8 in bowl games, including four appearances in the CFB Playoff between 2015-19.
2023 College Football Bowl Schedule
CFB Playoff
| DATE | GAME / LOC. | MATCHUP | PREDICTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 8 | National Championship Houston | Title game | Semifinal winners |
| Jan. 1 | Sugar Bowl New Orleans | Semifinal | (2) Washington vs. (3) Texas |
| Jan. 1 | Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. | Semifinal | (1) Michigan vs. (4) Alabama |
New Year’s Six
| DATE | BOWL | TIME (TV) | MATCHUP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Fiesta Glendale, Ariz. | 1 p.m. (ESPN) | (8) Oregon vs. (23) Liberty |
| Dec. 30 | Orange Miami Gardens, Fla. | 4 p.m. (ESPN) | (5) Florida State vs. (6) Georgia |
| Dec. 30 | Peach Atlanta, Ga. | Noon (ESPN) | (10) Penn State vs. (11) Ole Miss |
| Dec. 29 | Cotton Arlington, Texas | 8 p.m. (ESPN) | (7) Ohio State vs. (9) Missouri |
Every Other Bowl Game
| DATE | BOWL | TIME (TV) | MATCHUP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Citrus Orlando, Fla. | 1 p.m. (ABC) | Iowa vs. Tennessee |
| Jan. 1 | ReliaQuest Tampa, Fla. | Noon (ESPN2) | LSU vs. Wisconsin |
| Dec. 30 | Arizona Tucson, Ariz. | 4:30 p.m. | Toledo vs. Wyoming |
| Dec. 30 | Music City Nashville, Tenn. | 2 p.m. (ABC) | Auburn vs. Maryland |
| Dec. 29 | Liberty Memphis, Tenn. | 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Iowa State vs. Memphis |
| Dec. 29 | Tony the Tiger El Paso, Texas | 2 p.m. (CBS) | Notre Dame vs. Oregon State |
| Dec. 29 | Gator Jacksonville, Fla. | Noon (ESPN) | Clemson vs. Kentucky |
| Dec. 28 | Alamo San Antonio, Texas | 9:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Oklahoma vs. Arizona |
| Dec. 28 | Pop-Tarts Orlando, Fla. | 5:45 p.m. (ESPN) | Kansas State vs. NC State |
| Dec. 28 | Pinstripe New York, NY | 2:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Miami vs. Rutgers |
| Dec. 28 | Fenway Boston, Mass. | 11 a.m. (ESPN) | Boston College vs. SMU |
| Dec. 27 | Texas Phoenix, Ariz. | 9 p.m. (ESPN) | Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M |
| Dec. 27 | Holiday San Diego, Calif. | 8 p.m. (FOX) | Louisville vs. USC |
| Dec. 27 | Duke’s Mayo Charlotte, N.C. | 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) | North Carolina vs. West Virginia |
| Dec. 27 | Military Annapolis, Mary. | 2 p.m. (ESPN) | Tulane vs. Virginia Tech |
| Dec. 26 | Guaranteed Rate Phoenix, Ariz. | 9 p.m. (ESPN) | Kansas vs. UNLV |
| Dec. 26 | First Responder University Park, Texas | 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Texas State vs. Rice |
| Dec. 26 | Quick Lane Detroit, Mich. | 2 p.m. (ESPN) | Minnesota vs. Bowling Green |
| Dec. 23 | Hawai’i Honolulu, Hawaii | 10:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State |
| Dec. 23 | Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nev. | 7:30 p.m. (ABC) | Northwestern vs. Utah |
| Dec. 23 | 68 Ventures Mobile, Ala. | 7 p.m. (ESPN) | South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan |
| Dec. 23 | Famous Idaho Potato Boise, Idaho | 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Utah State vs. Georgia State |
| Dec. 23 | Armed Forces Fort Worth, Texas | 3:30 p.m. (ABC) | James Madison vs. Air Force |
| Dec. 23 | Camellia Montgomery, Ala. | Noon (ESPN) | Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois |
| Dec. 23 | Birmingham Birmingham, Ala. | Noon (ABC) | Duke vs. Troy |
| Dec. 22 | Gasparilla Tampa, Fla. | 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Georgia Tech vs. UCF |
| Dec. 21 | Boca Raton Boca Raton, Fla. | 8 p.m. (ESPN) | Syracuse vs. South Florida |
| Dec. 19 | Frisco Frisco, Texas | 9 p.m. (ESPN) | UTSA vs. Marshall |
| Dec. 18 | Famous Toastery Charlotte, NC | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) | Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion |
| Dec. 16 | Independence Shreveport, La. | 9:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Texas Tech vs. Cal |
| Dec. 16 | LA Inglewood, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. (ABC) | Boise State vs. UCLA |
| Dec. 16 | New Mexico Albuquerque, NM | 5:45 p.m. (ESPN) | Fresno State vs. New Mexico State |
| Dec. 16 | Cure Orlando, Fla. | 3:30 p.m. (ABC) | Miami (OH) vs. Appalachian State |
| Dec. 16 | New Orleans New Orleans, La. | 2:15 p.m. (ESPN) | Jacksonville State vs. Louisiana |
| Dec. 16 | Celebration Atlanta, Ga. | Noon (ABC) | Howard vs. Florida A&M |
| Dec. 16 | Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach, SC | 11 a.m. (ESPN) | Georgia Southern vs. Ohio |
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