Despite losing to the Tennessee Volunteerson Saturday and being dismantled in the fourth quarter, the Kentucky Wildcats should still, generally speaking, control their own destiny. It feels safe to say that any 2-loss SEC team would crack the College Football Playoff. With Florida, Missouri, and Louisville remaining on their schedule, that three-game win streak isn't going to come easy. While none of those three programs are ranked now, all three have been at times throughout the season and should give their best against the high-profile Cats.
That said, for the Cats to sustain their CFP odds, winning Saturday at home is a must. The sportsbooks seem to think they'll be able to get things done as well. Kentucky opened as a 2.5-point home favorite,
but that quickly jumped to 3.5 points, where it currently sits at DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is 53.5. The Cats are -166 on the moneyline, which means a bet of $166 on them to win outright would net $100 for a total payout of $266.
🚨 Kentucky opens as 2.5-point favorites against Florida on Saturday inside Kroger Field, according to FanDuel! 😼
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) November 8, 2026
Both teams will be coming off a loss heading into this matchup.
What do you think about the Wildcats being favored in this one? #BBN pic.twitter.com/LqyzYYzUNC
Kentucky has been terrific for bettors this season, going 7-2 against the spread (ATS) through its first 9 games of the season. The Cats have covered in every win and have failed to cover in every loss. They are 5-4 O/U on the season as well. The Cats are 4-1 ATS at home. For Florida, it is just 4-5 ATS, so it hasn't quite lived up to expectations this season. It has lost four of its last five games and is just 1-4 ATS in that span.
As Will Stein alluded to after the game on Saturday, the Cats have won one-score games because of their turnovers, and they lost that battle against Tennessee. Correcting that is an easy first step, and it's something Kenny Minchey and company can fix heading into the Week 11 contest.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky Wildcats open as a slight favorite over the Florida Gators
