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