Florida Gators Given Fifth-Best Odds to Win 2021 CFP Title

Vegas likes Florida's chances to push for a playoff spot.

Entering the 2020 college football season - so long as it goes on according to schedule amidst the global coronavirus pandemic - Vegas views the Florida Gators as a fringe College Football Playoff contender.

The Gators were given the fifth-best odds to win the 2021 College Football Playoff title, according to SuperBookUSA. With 12/1 odds, Florida stands behind Clemson and Ohio State at 11/4, Alabama (5/1), and Georgia (8/1), in descending order.

Florida enters the 2020 season with high expectations for head coach Dan Mullen's third year on the job, and for good reason. According to CBS Sports, the Gators have the easiest schedule in the SEC - set to face three FCS squads, hosting LSU, Kentucky, Missouri, and South Caroling at home, and traveling to Oxford, Mississippi, to face Ole Miss in Florida's yearly away SEC West matchup.

The Gators will face Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Florida State on the road. The yearly contest against Georgia in Jacksonville is likely to prove pivotal in Florida's playoff chase given the rest of the schedule, and should Florida be able to end a three-game skid against the Bulldogs, the script should flip in Florida's favor in the SEC East.

Returning starting quarterback Kyle Trask and several key weapons on offense to pick up where Florida left off as the No. 16 passing offense in the nation last year, the Gators' offense looks to be one of the more stable units in the SEC. This could prove pivotal in Florida's playoff chase, as several SEC powerhouses, namely Georgia and LSU, will feature new starting quarterbacks in an offseason where opportunities were limited to install the offense and build chemistry with receivers.

Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham brings back several key veterans across his entire unit as well, although the Gators' defense will undoubtedly get younger and more athletic in key spots.

Of course, these odds are subject to change when the season gets started, but Vegas has good reason to have high expectations for Florida in 2020.