Florida Gators Football Win Total, National Championship Odds Revealed

The Florida Gators will enter the year with high expectations, but will those expectations be met with the odds currently given to the football team?

Photo credit: University of Florida athletic association

Last season's Florida Gators football team is a thing of the past, and while the expectations for the team as a whole have certainly risen following its run to the SEC Championship game, for many the team still has plenty to prove, even with an easier schedule this year.

The odds have now been revealed as to where Florida will likely place in this year's college football race. According to SportsBettingDime.com, the Gators have a current over/under win total of 8.0 wins. The highest in the SEC is Alabama at 11 with only Georgia (9.5) and Texas A&M (9.0) as the two other teams ahead of the Gators.

According to the same source, Florida has the ninth-best odds at winning the 2021 College Football National Championship with +5600. The best is reigning champion Alabama at +400. Those odds seem to align with the expectations for not only Florida, but the teams surrounding them.

The rest of the teams ahead of Florida are as follows. Texas (9th, +5200), Notre Dame (8th, +4900), Texas A&M (7th, +4400), Iowa State (6th, +4300), Oklahoma (5th, +1250), Georgia (4th, +1000), Ohio State (3rd, +750) and Clemson (2nd, +600).

The Gators head into the year with a couple of new coaches on both sides of the football, including its quarterback coach. The team's starting quarterback last year, Kyle Trask, has moved on to greater things in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, selected in the second round.

A new quarterback, Emory Jones, will take his place. Now the team will need to figure out where it goes from here, a new beginning. 

This year's schedule doesn't appear tough at first glance, especially compared to last year's 10-game all-SEC schedule that was put in place due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Gators will start their schedule with two in-state opponents, against Florida Atlantic at home and away against South Florida. That's where things get tough as the Gators open up its SEC play against Alabama at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Here is the remainder of Florida's schedule:

• Sep. 25: Tennessee (Gainesville, Fla.) 3-7
• Oct. 2: @ Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.) 5-6
• Oct. 9: Vanderbilt (Gainesville, Fla.) 0-9
• Oct. 16: @ Louisiana State (Baton Rouge, La.) 5-5
• Bye week
• Oct. 30: Georgia (in Jacksonville, Fla.) 8-2
• Nov. 6: @ South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.) 2-8
• Nov. 13: Samford (Gainesville, Fla.) (N/A)
• Nov. 20: @ Missouri (Columbia, Mo.) 5-5
• Nov. 27: Florida State (Gainesville, Fla.) 3-6

Eight wins appear like a near-certainty with FAU, USF, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Samford, Missouri and Florida State as the likely victories considering the level of competition.

Nine wins are likely as well if the Gators can take down Kentucky. Their toughest challenges will be against Alabama, LSU and Georgia.

These odds come incredibly early, but also realistic when considering the team's makeup following last season. But, there will be plenty of time for the Gators to change the minds of not only oddsmakers but also fans and observers around the country in general.

What do you think of the odds? Are they too high or too low? Just about right?